NaruHina: High School
by Johannich
Summary: Hinata is a new girl at Konoha High School. She have been homeschooled since ever and going from a small and quiet room to a huge building with three floors filled with two thousand students was a devastating shock. Not only that, but the Hyuga heiress also have to keep three terrible secrets hidden from the new friends she makes, including an interesting one named Naruto Uzumaki.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Chapter 1: The beginning.

The door slammed behind the last man, signalling she was finally alone. The dark-haired girl picked up a box standing next to her feet and carry it inside the big part of the apartment called "living room." Although, she might end up calling it something else herself because the words resembled the Hyuga estate too much for her own good. A look around told her she had to find places for the little amount of things she had brought with her from the house, those things that belonged to her and she didn't hate yet. It was one thing the lavender-eyed, young woman couldn't stand bringing, but she had to if she was to fulfil her father's one and only condition for moving out. Hinata was still underage and needed the approval from at least one parent, but her mother was dead and that left it to her father to decide. Even thought it was only one thing, and other parents might have put up a hundred, it was an enormous burden to her. He couldn't care about homework and school-stuff, no, he had to ask for THAT. "Saturday... will be like hell all over again..." Hinata muttered darkly to herself.

She shook her head lightly to get rid of all the unpleasant thoughts. The apartment was build for one person with three rooms; living room (still in the search for a new name), bath (bath plus washing machine and a surprisingly big shower) and bedroom (with a one-man bed already standing there). The place was quiet and simple, just like her. 'I will be fine here,' she thought with a small smile.

She had moved from the Hyuga estate, her father and family to move into a much smaller apartment; build for one, not twenty. It felt like huge relief to her to finally have some space around her with no need to worry if someone stood outside the door and listened to what she did inside her bedroom. Hinata has never had anything against being alone, even though she rarely got the chance to prove that. She took a deep breath and noticed it was pretty dusty inside. She went over to the balcony door and opened it widely. As she went through it, a chill breeze caught her long dark hair and brown skirt. It was a clear sky at an autumn afternoon and all the different shades of red among the leaves, just made the view more beautiful. She had never been on the other side of the town before, either went to school. She had home-school until last week and was now going to enter Konoha High School. A place filled with other teens she didn't know... yet. She had her first day tomorrow.

She noticed her silver flute hanging around her neck, and she took it carefully in her hands. It meant a lot to her, since it had been her mother's and was one of the few things she had inherited from her when she died. But it brought a lot of bad memories to her as she looked at it, painful and unbelievable images. She shut her eyes tight, let go of the flute and turned around to face the room.

Suddenly, a huge noise sounded from the apartment over her. It took some seconds before she recognised the noise as a rock song, a very bad song too, after her taste. But it reminded her of her own stereo system and she ran inside to set it up close to the kitchen where she had placed her radio. She kept figuring out where to put things until the only thing left was a midnight blue paper box standing in the passageway. She steered at it like it was an invitation from hell. This was the one thing she couldn't stand bringing here, to her new home. She had refused to even touch it when they packed it away in the box later that day. She kept steering at it, wanting it to burst into flames and disappear. Then she gave up the hope and went over to it. As she picked it up she made sure to hold it at a so long distance from her body as possible. Deciding where to hide it, she shoved it long under the couch, into a corner.

The horrible music from above kept on going, every new song worse than the last one. Irritated, she grabbed her shoulder-bag, went through the door and locked it behind her. "No need to be unfriendly at my first day here, so I might as well shop the groceries," she muttered to herself. The cool breeze caressed her body and she shuddered a little. She only wore her knees-long, brown, favourite skirt and a light purple t-shirt. She went fast over to the stairs at the side of the building and literally jumped down the steps. The young woman lived at the almost highest floor, the third. The top floor was only two apartments with a huge balcony for each. It was the one over hers who played the music at full volume. Once down, she tried to find the stores.

Coming back with bags full of different stuff, she almost fell of exhaustion at the top of the stairs. It had been a long way to the stores. 'Gods, I got to get my motorbike soon...' she thought, missing the blue-purple painted cycle. It still stood at the Hyuga estate, in the garage and had been the one thing she hadn't get yet.

Hinata disliked being a Hyuga almost more than anything else. If someone was to know she belonged... no, was born into that family, she would get bad rumours thrown after her right away. The Hyuga family had an extremely bad reputation in this town, but the weird thing is that people from all around the world adored them for that one thing she hated about the family. All Hyugas was born talented, in more ways than one, often. Many of them had special abilities like super creativity, extra strength, unbelievably smart etc. But it was this one thing all of them were born to do... at least it was supposed to be that way. Hinata is an exception, an outcast from it, yet so much more talented at it than anybody else. This thing, that talent is what's giving the Hyuga family bad reputation and it's also so deadly important to all of them anyway.

Hinata is a peaceful person and because of that, she could never be confident with this thing; this special, over-class sport. Then again, the young maiden is the best of them all, but that's because of one fatal reason.

She shook her head rapidly as she locked up her apartment and stumbled inside. "I don't need to think about it before Saturday!" she said to herself. Today was Monday. She put the groceries away and packed her shoulder bag she would be using tomorrow at school. It was night already so she got ready for bed and turned off the light. She yawned softly and mumbled quiet: "I wonder how tomorrow's going to be like..." She clenched the silver flute in her sleep.

An annoying sound interrupted her dream and she woke up to turn off the alarm clock. But she had two problems; one, she had forgot to turn it on in the first place. Two, the sound came from upstairs, more bad rock music. She looked at the clock and saw it was an hour until she should wake up. Angry about the early wake-up she screamed to end of her lungs: "HEY! DO YOU MIND TURN IT DOWN?!" The music got lower as she got answered.

"HEY! YOU'RE THE NEW NEIGHBOUR, RIGHT?! GET USED TO IT!" yelled a male voice to her from above.

She got out of her bed and walked furious into the kitchen. There she plugged in some of her stereos, enough to double his volume, and sat on a random song on the highest. It turned out to be 'Lovers' by 7 Oops, a Japanese song. The sound filled the whole building and after a moment, the sound from upstairs accelerated as well. I was about to turn it even higher when I heard a door slam above me. I throw myself to the volume button and turned it off. The sound had disappeared from the guys apartment too but was soon replaced by yelling.

"Can't you just for once not try to wake us all?! It is other people living here too, you know! I will personally report to the police about house disorder, but this time I WILL make sure you don't live here any longer after that! I just need one more person to sign and I bet our new neighbour downstairs will be more than happy to get rid of you!" yelled an old female voice. Then it was another door slam. 'She had meant me...' Hinata thought silently.

Then she ran into the bath room, got ready, did her morning exercises, showered, ran into the kitchen, made something to eat and got back to her bedroom again while eating it. Then she stopped and looked at the clock. Why did she run? She had plenty of time thanks to the guy over her. She then more peacefully found a deep blue skirt and a light aqua t-shirt, and was off to school for the first time.


	2. Chapter 2: Naruto Uzumaki

Chapter 2: Naruto Uzumaki

Hinata was lost. For her, the streets in this part of Konoha were identical. She began to panic as the minutes ticked away. Soon, she just spun around and around without nowhere to go and no clue where she came from. The world was one big soup surrounding her. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from swirl into a mailbox. Her head felt dizzy as the person stepped in front of her. Hinata, as soon as she could see properly, got dazzled by the spiky golden hair. In one quick daydream she wondered how soft it felt. It was... a boy? No, he was more matured than that. He was a guy, or a young man. He had three whisker marks on each cheek, but she barely noticed. That's because his eyes were so brilliant blue that they could put the sea to shame! And that's saying something because Hinata loved the ocean. Hinata hasn't met many boys at her age before, when she lived at the Hyuga estate. Even so, she knew this young man was... different, at least for her.

"You alright?" he asked her with a somewhat fox-like smile. He hid it well, but Hinata had a life-long experience to see through people's faces because the Hyugas are all so serious and emotionless. She saw he was worried.

She almost giggled of his expression but smiled sweetly to him. "Thank you."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It just looked like you... I don't know, illustrated a spinning or something." He smiled wider as the scene replayed in his head.

She closed her eyes shut and thought about how it must have looked like. An embarrassed blush appeared in her cheeks. Then she giggled. "Actually, I'm lost. I've never been here before and I'm trying to find the school around here."

The blonde's eyes widened in realisation and he grabbed her hand, staring to drag her in one direction. "Then you can just follow me. I'm on my way to school as well!" he said cheerfully.

Hinata blushed deeper from how warm his hand was. He pulled her gently as first, without letting go of her. She now noticed his cloths; he wore a long, black, sleeveless coat, orange and black pants and a white shirt under the coat. She couldn't see more for the moment sine he walked in front of her. the sun shone brightly and happily above the two of them as the blond guy leaded them into a forest.

He then turned around to her and let go of her hand. His eyes sparkled. "I almost forgot, my name is Naruto Uzumaki," he said proudly and offered his hand to her.

Amazed by how much self-confidence he had, she took his hand and smiled warmly at him. "Hinata. Nice to meet you," she said partly shy. They began to walk again, beside each other this time. Hinata tried the best she could to hold her glance at the way before them because every time they eyes met she would just look away with red cheeks.

"Actually," started Naruto in a thoughtful voice. "I think I've never seen you before at school. Are you new?"

She looked up at him, curious. "Well, yes. I... I have never gone to a school before..." she told this stranger honestly as the forest ended.

Naruto looked shocked at her. "What? You've never even seen a school before?"

She looked guilty down at the grass under their feet. "I have SEEN schools before, but never entered them. Actually, I have never ever seen our school before," she said, suddenly lost in thoughts. Her eyes focused at randomly things as they started walking again.

"But... you can write and all, right?"

She turned and glanced at him more sarcastic than usual. "Of course I can. I had homeschooling until now," she told him.

He sighed. "Oh. So I guess you're not very... social?"

She quickly looked away and lowered her head in shame. "...Not really..." It was a quiet mumble, but he heard it.

The blonde one chuckled, making Hinata peek at him through her curtain of hair. "I don't think sociality is your problem," he told her, making Hinata guarded for whatever conclusion he might have. "Don't you think you're just careful?"

Hinata shot her head up as her thoughts stumbled over this. Was she a careful person? But what she was forced to do wasn't careful at all... but does that make her a restless person? Hinata giggled over this logic and looked up to Naruto's beautiful blue eyes. "I guess." And she kept smiling to him.

He grinned at her again but then suddenly turned his head forward. "Ah. We're here."

Hinata looked to her left and saw for the first time Konoha High. The building was enormous and white. The school seemed to have three floors with sun-reflecting windows everywhere. You should have thought that marks from footballs would only be at the first floor, but here she saw scratches and round marks covering the whole white building. The school yard was surrounded by a wood fence that ends ended in a high triumph arch above them. It was less people in the schoolyard than expected, none of them wearing a school uniform.

Hinata poked Naruto. "Eh Naruto? What time is it? Has the bell ringed already?"

Naruto pulled up a cell phone and looked at the screen. "Yes. The lesson has started." He put it back down in his pocket and caught Hinata's confused look. "My teacher is always late so none of us is bothering coming on time. And if it happens that someone is later than him, he will not notice it. It's a deal we have: we don't inform on him to the principle, he don't give us notes."

'Is it like that in all classes?' Hinata thought. "Well that's good for you, but I still have to meet up at the office to get information at time," she said and peeked up at him with a please-help-me-look at her sweet face.

Naruto's eyes widened and he face-palmed himself. "Of course you are! Come on I'll show you since I have so much time." He brought her through the big glass-made main door of the school. The corridor looked like a mile long with doors on each side. Naruto explained: "Here, at the first floor, is where the first-years are. All of classrooms starts at one hundred." We went up the stairs to the second floor. "Here are the second-years. I'm a second-year as well and we all our classrooms are named from two hundred. We also have the cafeteria at our floor, how lucky we are." He stopped up and hesitated. "What year will you be attending?" he asked and looked at for the first time since they entered the building.

Hinata only shrugged. "I honestly don't know. But the school has my papers so I really hope they know."

Naruto nodded and we continued up to the third floor. "Here are the seniors. They are the ones with most trouble here... well, after me." He said and lowered his head. 'He... he has problems?' Hinata thought as she scanned his face. He seemed to be in deep thoughts, maybe sad too. But then he shot his head up and grinned widely. "But that's nothing to care about!" And then he showed me into the office at the same floor.

It smelled very clean... dentist clean. Behind a counter was a lady with short brown hair and a little pink pig. She looked up from her papers as she heard the door got slammed up (Naruto had used too much force). She first saw Naruto and sighed. "What have you done now, Naruto? Another food-fight? You know you'll be the one to clean it up anyway, so why do it?" She got up from her chair.

Naruto shook his head and stepped aside, revealing Hinata. Now she saw the nameplate at the counter. It said "Shizune". Shizune blinked of the sight of the dark-haired one and came over to her. "Can I help you?" Hinata really, really, really didn't want Naruto to be here right now. She didn't want him to hear her full name, afraid of what he might think of her then. Hinata elbowed Naruto and Shizune saw it. She nailed her eyes at Naruto. "Aren't you supposed to be in class right now?"

Naruto looked nervous. "Yes but I just –" He got cut off.

"No buts. GO! I'll take care of her." With that, she showed Naruto out the door and closed it. Shizune walked back to Hinata. "So how can I help you?"

Hinata took one shaky breath. "I'm the new student, Hinata Hyuga."


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting Strangers

Chapter 3: Meeting strangers... and a dear one.

As the blond boy walked through his homeroom door, he immediately heard the chatter. 'So Kakashi hasn't arrived yet?' he thought. Then he looked at the clock on the wall and his eyes widened. 'The lesson's almost over! That MUST be a new record!'

"HEY KNUCKLEHEAD!" shouted a loudly girl voice. Naruto, because he knew it was him she meant, turned his head to look at a pink haired girl. She wore a pink t-shirt and green jeans, her hair sat up with a red hair band. Naruto began to run towards her through the classroom. It wasn't hard; those others instinctively pulled away from him because of his reputation. Mostly, the chatter will stop until he had passed, so Naruto often got the feeling it was him they talked about. "What took you so long? I mean longer than normal..." Sakura said as he showed up in front of her.

"I just happen to bump into a new student," he said and grinned while thinking about it.

"So what?" asked Sakura, while sitting back to her chair.

Tamari, another blonde with four ponytails who sat in front of Sakura, turned around to her and smiled a suspicious smile. "Come on, Sakura! I bet it was another slut since he's smiling like that."

Naruto got hurt by this. Even his friends partly believed the meaningless rumours someone had thrown on him right after he entered this school. They said he was a typical bad-boy; that kind who has sex with every girl he meets, always ends up fighting in the schoolyard and kill random people at night. That was his reputation so almost everyone back away from him.

He looked around and saw really few of his gang here. "Where are the others?"

Sakura shrugged. "Anywhere and everywhere, I guess... Sasuke still hasn't come back, nobody has seen Gaara today and Lee has his extra physic class right now."

As she finished speaking, the door got slammed open. The blonde one turned and saw his masked teacher standing in the hallway. 'Man... I mean it, this must be the record,' he thought and sighed before joining the others, shouting: "YOU'RE LATE, KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

He just smiled under his mask. "Sorry, but I had to pick up a-"

"YOU'RE LYING!" the class interrupted him.

He shook his head. "No. I had to get the new student before..." he looked at the wall-clock. "Oh. The class is almost over..."

Naruto stepped forward. "New student?" 'Could it be...? No, I don't think so. New students are arriving almost every day...' His hopes landed on the floor.

The teacher face-palmed himself and stepped aside, revealing the dark-haired girl Naruto had bumped into only minutes ago. She looked nervously at the ground while playing with her fingers, her glance at the floor. Everyone looked curious at her.

Hinata felt her cheeks heathen up as she slowly raised her head. Her eyes widened and she took a sudden breath as she saw how many it was. She was used to five at the most, but here it was at least thirty! Her body began to shake lightly as she heard some of them whisper to each other. Then a voice called for her: "Hinata!"

Her head popped up in the direction of the familiar voice. More people began to whisper as she saw someone make a way though the crowd. "Naruto?" Hinata asked aloud. She straightened up to get a better look and caught sight of spiky blond hair moving towards her.

The teacher sighed beside her and began to leave the room. "The lesson's over. Naruto, please show miss Hinata to her next class since you obviously know her." With that he was gone and Naruto stood next to Hinata with two girls trailing after him.

Naruto grinned at her. "Are you starting in my class?" His blue eyes melted like blue lava as she looked at him. She shook away her dizziness that began to overwhelm her.

"Obviously, yes," Hinata said and smiled to him. Naruto then turned his head to his left, as if someone had called for him. When he looked back at her, it was like most of his enthusiasm had left his face and he had a partly hurt look in his beautiful eyes.

But then he turned her around, grabbed her shoulders and began to shove her out the door. The two girls, one pink haired and a blonde one, followed them to the corridor. It was a lot of students there all ready, but the corridor was huge enough to still have much space left. Naruto stopped shoving her when they came across one of the big windows no one else seemed to find interesting. Hinata turned to face him with a somewhat confused expression as he leaned onto the window. The yellow morning light made his hair sparkle as his blue eyes were fixed on the sky with the same colour. Hinata decided to sit in the window while waiting for Naruto to explain.

The pink haired girl found them and gave Naruto a frustrated look. "Naruto, what the heck was that about?! She just started here!"

Naruto sighed. "Hinata is used to it." Naruto winked at Hinata before closing his eyes.

"Huh?" said the girl. She looked confused from Naruto to Hinata, but Hinata nodded to her. She snorted like it was something like this everyday. "Hey, I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you!" She shook Hinata's hand and leaned in to her, her green eyes fixed on Hinata's face. "He doesn't usually do that to the newcomers," she whispered to her, knowing Naruto could hear her.

The dark haired girl smiled at her new friend. "I didn't think so either. But why did you push me out here?" she asked, turning to Naruto.

Naruto's eyes, as if he thought about something painful. "The others began to... talk."

It made no sense to Hinata, but Sakura seemed to understand right away since she patted his arm. "Even so Naruto, I don't think shoving her out and away from the others will help it," she told him.

Hinata was even more confused now. "Help what?" But then the other girl, the blond one, appeared and grabbed Hinata's arm gently.

As she dragged her along to the right end of the corridor she said: "I'm Tamari! Now, we got to get to the cafeteria. The others are waiting!" Hinata wasn't sure if she talked to her anymore. Naruto and Sakura followed and together they squeezed themselves through the crowd who gathered in front of the cafeteria doors. Naruto took Hinata's hand to not lose her among the other students. ...or she lose him.

When it was some space to move inside the enormous hall, a voice called out in disbelief: "Lady Hinata?!"

She stopped moving, which caused Naruto who was right behind her, to crash into her. But right then, Hinata couldn't care less. Naruto mumbled confused about the 'Lady' thing as Hinata turned her head to her right. Her heart lost some beats. Standing ten meters away was a boy she knew well. He had long brown hair and the same eyes as Hinata. He wore something simple as he used to do before; a brown t-shirt and jeans.

Hinata's lips moved but no sound could be heard from the girl. Sakura, Naruto and Tamari were confused as they looked from the boy to Hinata. Then Hinata found her voice again. "N-Neji?" she asked him, her voice shocked and a little sad.

Neji didn't need to do much but get a soft expression. That was enough for Hinata drop her bag as she charged towards him, dodging students, food and tables with such professional skills it stunned the three friends behind her. Hinata didn't know she cried before she finally embraced him. Neji locked his arms around her, holding her tight to his chest. Then he whispered to her: "What are you doing here, Lady Hinata? Something happen at the estate or with the company?"

"No, not really" she whispered back to him. She slowly began to realise the previous loud cafeteria had turned silent, like everyone watched them. Like Neji had never embraced a girl before and this was the biggest thing that had happen today.

He lowered his head. "Then what are you doing here?"

Hinata's eyes shot up and she carefully took a step back from him. Her bangs covered her eyes as she told him, aloud this time: "I just made a deal with him... like you did." She mumbled the last part, but Neji heard her clear enough. As his eyes widened in realisation, Naruto decided to join the conversation. He, like everyone else, hadn't heard their silent whispering.

"So... you know Neji, Hinata?" Naruto asked her and looked sad again as he came up beside them. She didn't pay much attention to his question because right after, Neji grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. She almost got afraid of how intense he narrowed his eyes at hers.

His voice shook as he asked her: "What... what did you trade?"

'Only my free mind and freedom, Neji' she thought silent.


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets

Chapter 4: Secrets

She moved her glance to the space between Neji and Naruto. She could feel the back of her eyes burn with tears, but she refused to let them out. "Nothing that matters. We can talk about it later." Hinata began to feel very uneasy with all the attention Neji didn't seem to notice. He was about to fire another question but Naruto interrupted him.

"Hinata? What's wrong?" he asked her a little worried. She did her best to replace her face back to normal as she looked up at him. She smiled her fake smile, but for some reason it was harder to pretend when it was Naruto. She never had trouble with that back at the estate. "I'm fine, it's just old memories. Neji and I used to have homeschooling together before he moved. I haven't seen him since." Hinata purposely avoided telling him Neji and her were cosines, in case that would lead him to the conclusion of who she is. Of course, Hinata couldn't be sure whatever or not Naruto knew Neji was a Hyuga, but better not take any chances.

Neji then received an unpleasant thought. He shook Hinata lightly so she would focus on him. When she did, Neji asked a little more clam: "You have quitted with it since you moved, right?"

Hinata eyes widened and she hesitated. Her thoughts accelerated around the topic which was extremely forbidden here, outside of the estate. And with all the attention they've gathered the last minutes... it would never turn out good. She knew what Neji meant; the sport she was still forced to continue with even thought she had moved from her family. Her father's one condition... The reason why the citizens of Konoha back away from Hyugas... Even thought they don't even know half of reality around this topic. They only think the Hyugas are crazy, violent fighters or something, but they really have no idea of who they're living so close to. The Hyuga family are famous worldwide for this sport, but there's no reason for citizens of Konoha to brag about how lucky they are to be among the Hyugas in everyday life when they travel to other counties. So that's why they don't know. Hinata didn't want her friends to know about this either. They would look at her differently if they found out about the sport. It's very few people inside of Konoha who knows, and about Hinata's situation; only one outsider. It happen a long time ago and the boy demanded to know how Hinata could turn into... that. Her family didn't want to tell him, but ended up doing it anyway since the boy had a higher rank even at the age of seven. Both Hinata and the boy was the same age when Hinata had beaten him half to death. After he got to know the truth, he had helped Hinata the best he could until the... incident happened.

Then she felt a tear escape, which brought her back to reality. She quickly wiped it away. "Not now, Neji. Later," she told him.

Neji finally understood and stepped back. "Okay, I'll fetch you after school. You can tell me then," he said with an emotionless face. "See you later." He went off to a table filled with seniors without saying more.

Someone poked Hinata in the shoulder and she turned to Naruto. "Shall we go back?" he asked her. She just nodded and followed Naruto back to Sakura and Temari. The two girls looks fired up with thousands of questions for Hinata only as they narrowed their eyes at her. Each of them grabbed one arm and started to drag Hinata out of the cafeteria without a word. The newcomer looked horrified by this but didn't say anything either, just thought it was normal on a public school.

Naruto looked at the trio until the doors slammed behind them. 'Poor Hinata,' Naruto thought worried. 'Don't let them brake you!' he encouraged mentally as he saw Ino rush away right beside him, towards the door. 'Good luck. You'll need it.' He turned and saw almost all of his friends sitting by the table; Lee, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba and... Tenten. Naruto raised an eyebrow at her. Usually, she would join the other girls when they did this kind of a thing.

"Why aren't you going with Ino?" he asked her.

She gave Naruto a sarcastic look. "Why would I arrange a pop-quiz about the newcomer?" she said, avoiding the question.

Naruto sat down beside her and Lee. "Do you have something against Hinata?" he said out of curiosity.

Tenten snorted and Kiba wanted to participate. "Hey, Naruto. How do you know that babe? She's hot!" he exclaimed and got a sudden lustful expression.

"Kiba," said Shino. "Do not look at her as another female alfa."

Naruto blinked. He hadn't actually thought of Hinata as anything else than a nice, friendly, cute... sky... careful... adorable... and kind girl... His thoughts trailed off as he thought about her looks; her long, dark hair, soft skin, wide lavender eyes and her... 'NO! NO! Don't think like that! Bad Naruto! Don't be such a pervert!' Naruto choked once. "Ehhh... I saved her form a mailbox earlier today," he explained. The others looked stupid at him.

"Neji is one lucky guy," Kiba said disappointed. Naruto saw Tenten's face hardened and she almost squeezed her bottle.

"What do you mean, Kiba?" Naruto asked him confused.

Choji grabbed a bag of chips. "Even I could see that Hinata and Neji have or has something going on," he said and started eating. Tenten practically fried.

"If they ever had a relationship like that, I bet Hinata isn't even a virgin! That's impossible; it's Neji we're talking about," Kiba chuckled. Tenten slammed her fist in the table and left the cafeteria without a word. She didn't even bother to dodge the other students as she walked rapidly fast out of the hall. The pupils made way for her, obviously terrified by her expression.

"What's she so upset about? Her youthfulness is lacking again," Lee said, worried for his best friend as he followed her with his glance.

"Ah... forget about her," Kiba said. "It's just her crush on Neji again. Even more important; where's Sasuke? Naruto, have you seen him?"

Naruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. Everyone rolled their eyes at him. "Here we go..." Shikamaru whispered lazily.

"You see," Naruto stared and sweat-dropped. "When I followed Hinata to Shizune's office, I wasn't allowed to stay. I tried to explain that I waited for Sasuke but she shoved me out like she would give Hinata a body examination or something!" he exclaimed.

"And what wouldn't I give to see that..." Kiba said and spaced out while drooling a little.

"See what?" asked Sakura behind Kiba. He sat upon one of the chairs' back as Sakura sneaked up on him. He screamed and fell backwards, hitting the floor head first. Naruto burst out laughing and also fell on the ground. His whole body shook as Kiba got up and pointed one finger at Sakura.

"You got to stop hanging so much around Anko-sensei!" Kiba cried at her.

She just rolled her eyes at him. Temari, who still dragged Hinata, came up beside Sakura. Hinata was placed beside Naruto by the table since she only knew him and then the chatter started. Even though Hinata had already been asked skin full about her love life, Kiba found it shockingly interesting and started asking her his creepy questions. Hinata sat world record in blushing, went wide-eyed a lot, face-palmed herself enough times and also hid behind Naruto when Kiba's questions got way too intimate. Everyone seemed to like her a lot when the brake ended. Hinata liked them even more, Kiba too. She had been able to make friends her very first day at a public school. Hinata felt two different feelings; she was proud of herself and she was extremely thankful for Naruto for giving her this chance.

They were the last ones to enter the classroom. Naruto went to his seat while Hinata went over to the nature science teacher, Jiraiya, to get him to sign a paper Shizune had given her. As Naruto sat down he heard Jiraiya laugh his silent pervy-laugh. He looked up and saw Jiraiya eyeing the new student with a somewhat creepy smile. "So... new student, huh?" the perv said and a little nosebleed escaped his nose.

Hinata stood a couple meters away and smiled nervously to him. Not in the way she had done to her new friends, but kind of like she was afraid of him. The room was silent as all of them watched Hinata and waited for the teacher to do what he always does to the newcomers. Hinata started nodding rapidly.

"In that case..." Jiraiya said and searched for something in his desk. "Aha! Come here miss...?" he said and fished after her name.

"Hinata!" she exclaimed and stood straight before hesitantly moving closer to the perv. 'Hinata has probably already figured what was wrong with our nature science teacher,' Naruto thought as he watched the teacher give something to Hinata. Hinata held the package in front of her, not quite catching what it was. Naruto strangled his urge to burst out in laughter. He wasn't the only one; almost all of the students in the front rows practically held their breath. 'I can't believe she got the whole box!' Naruto thought to himself. 'It's usually only one each... Wow, the perv must really find her good looking. Not that she isn't...' He watched Hinata stare at her gift. She glanced over it one more time but this time her eyes widened. Her face went rose red and she looked back at the grinning teacher.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't need it," he said and eyed her with a slight grin. "Condoms never hurt anyway."


	5. Chapter 5: I'm a Hyuga

Chapter 5: I'm a Hyuga

"No worries, Hinata," said Temari after the class ended. "We've all been through it and got one." The two girls plus Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru and Choji walked down the corridor towards their next class. It was supposed to be History with the substitute teacher, Yamato, a 'freaking creepy guy' from Naruto's point of view. Hinata blushed madly of the thought of Jiraiya's "gift" now placed in her bag.

"Temari even used hers the same day!" Kiba chuckled in Hinata's ear.

"And how would you know that, brat?" it sounded from Temari before she grabbed his shirt and pressed him against the wall.

Kiba gave her a smirk. "Because it was with me, remember?"

"No, it wasn't!" Temari exclaimed and stepped away from Kiba with a disgusted look at him.

"Got you. So you have used it! Who was it?" Kiba stepped up exited.

"You're such a pervert!" Temari cried and hit him with her book. Kiba moaned and held his head as they started walking again.

"Hey Hinata. Should I help you getting rid of those?" Kiba asked her. She had just started to consider if they were worth keeping or not, when Kiba continued "I only need an hour and you'd be all out... of condoms too, of course!"

Temari face-palmed herself and along with Sakura and Ino, they blushed madly. Hinata laughed nervously and blushed as well as they walked through the door to the next classroom. Everyone took their seat and Hinata walked up to the teacher. On her way she stumbled over a few bags and had to lean onto a few desks before she reached the front row. Yamato was a short brown haired man with black eyes. 'He seems normal enough,' Hinata thought as she went over to him and handed him her paper.

The history teacher looked up at her and the young woman smiled to him. "It's nice to meet you, Yamato-sensei."

He took the paper and looked at it for a bit. "Welcome to Konoha High, Hinata. What if we take your presentation for the class now? Stand in the middle there. Yes, right there," he directed her. The room was filled with a sudden silence as they noticed Hinata standing there. She could see Naruto question Sakura about something through eye contact. Hinata gazed at the ground in pure misery.

Then Yamato broke the awkward silence. "What's your name and why did you start at Konoha High?"

Hinata let out a breath she didn't knew she held and looked up at the class. "My name is Hinata..." she paused and took a deep breath to calm herself. Then she focused on her classmates with new build confidence. "I have never gone to a public school before, because I have been homeschooled since I was six years old. I recently moved away from my family to get some space because all of us live in the same house, and decided to entertain the town's public school instead of travelling back to the old house every morning. This is my first time ever to be among so many other teens at my age. It's very nice to meet you all," she finished and smiled a little to her new class. They started to whisper among themselves again and peeked at Hinata sometimes.

"Okay," Yamato said and caught the class' attention again. "That's good. But did you tell us your surname, Hinata?"

Hinata froze. Her heart stopped. The whisper died out. Still, Hinata wouldn't tell them her full name. She was afraid to get stereotyped as a troublemaker or an arrogant moron. 'All Hyugas are still known as violent bastards; because we use this sport we have learned for generations, to fight other harmless people. Not without purpose of course, but using this kind of violence to solve our problems is not good at all!' Hinata had though many times before.

Her hands shook rapidly as she stared at them. 'Stop shaking, you idiot!' she ordered herself without luck. Seconds of silence passed. "D-D-Do I have to t-tell you?" she stuttered to her teacher while the rest of her class probably wondered what was so dangerous about telling them her surname.

"Yes, I have to fill it in on my class list and your paper only says 'Hinata'," he answered and picked up a pen. "If you would be so kind and tell us your full name, please," he gestured and looked at her as well. Now all the in the room where turned to Hinata. Well, except Shikamaru, who was sleeping upon his desk it seemed.

Hinata swallowed and clenched her jaw. She turned her gaze to the ground, deciding to bit of her tongue or not. Everyone glared at her with such unwanted curiosity while she grabbed her skirt with her clenched fists. 'Please,' prayed Hinata to god knows who. 'Please, just one distraction!'

"Miss?" asked Yamato. "Are you okay?"

'Fire alert! A meteorite! Someone's water broke! The end of the world! Something! Anything!' she shouted mentally. But unfortunately, nothing happened. She lifted her head and again it was dead silence in the room. 'I might as well tell them...' Hinata took one shaky breath. "Hyuga. My name is Hinata Hyuga."

Hinata looked at them hesitantly under her eyelashes. Naruto was the first one to catch her eye. He looked at her wide eyed and his jaw at the floor. It had obviously not been something he had expected from the sky and careful girl he had bumped into this morning. A shocked Kiba tried to get contact with the "out-spaced" Naruto by throwing pieces of his eraser at him to no use. Every single one of Hinata's new classmates looked thrown off guard. That was before a brown haired girl spoke up.

"SO YOU'RE NEJI'S RELATIVE?!" she yelled at Hinata, making the two buns of hair shake as she rose up from her chair.

Hinata nodded. "Yeah, Neji is my cousin," she told her honestly.

The girl shook her head like she didn't believe it. "So you two have... you know... lived together?"

Hinata now giggled a little of this curiosity. "Yes, for among fifteen years until Neji wanted to move away." This was going much easier than what Hinata had expected. No one was bullying her for it, even though most of them still were in shock.

"Wait a minute," said one familiar guy from the back row. "Then I guess you're another fucking Hyuga bastard as well!" he mocked her. That comment sunk into her and she stared at the rude guy. He had hit her weak spot (one of few). Hinata started to shake her head as a red-head next to him spoke up too: "Yeah, I guess it's just a matter of seconds before she makes us all bow for her or something."

"Karin!" yelled Yamato to the girl. She just shrugged and kept doing her nails.

"Yamato-sensei..." Hinata whispered so no one else would hear. The other students were busy yelling at Karin, which surprised both Hinata and the red-head.

"Yes?" he said low.

"Can I please take a break and walk outside?" she said strangled as she fought to keep the tears back. But it failed and one escaped, causing Yamato to show her the extra door right beside the blackboard. No one seemed to noticed that Hinata left the classroom. She got out and closed the door silently behind her. She still kept them back, the salty tears. She didn't know to where, but she started running with full speed while the emptiness ached in her chest. Her feet carried her faster than an arrow it seemed, towards the green exit sign in the end of the corridor. She stumbled the last steps and practically fell out the door.

Hinata laid there for a moment, without the will to get up, but then the door hit her, causing her to stand up again. Young Hyuga looked around tiredly and spotted a bench a little out of sight from the entrance. She ungracefully ran over to it with heavy steps and grabbed the wood for supporting. Her head bent down as she breathed for life and saw the bench began to darken.

She cried. The teardrops caused the wood to get wet as she ruled over it. She lifted one hand and felt her face; it was warm from the exhaust, her lips trembled when her fingers lightly touched them and her ears were moist. Sitting down, she understood she had cried while running as well. Her chest ached as she thought back to the class room. 'Hyuga bastard'... 'make us bow'... She had done right to hide her surname. Those comments had hit where it hurt the most, but what was worse had been knowing they were right about calling her that. Hinata Hyuga hated to be a Hyuga. She had never needed to hide it before either, since she almost never left the estate and didn't meet others. But that didn't make her unsocial because she had many to talk to in her family since all of them lived under the same roof. Even the branch family loved her and they never liked any heir or heiress. That's right; even though Hinata is a Hyuga she still had it much worse than the rest of the family members. She was supposed to be the next head of the whole clan. It can't get worse than that. If people are terrified by people from the branch, then how will they react to the heiress herself? The next oh-so-powerful Hyuga head...

She always tried to think less at this as possible, but it kept creeping back to her mind. A title was something she couldn't run or hide from. Hinata's eyes widened as she saw how wet her hands was when she moved them away from her eyes. She sighed, but it sounded more like a moan, and looked up at the sky. But the sky wasn't the only blue thing she saw.


	6. Chapter 6: Friends

Chapter 6: Friends

His hair caught the sunlight like it always do; sparkling. Hinata had a hard time reading his face as he ruled over her like she was worthless trash. Though, she was glad he came before she had been alone too long. Even if he came to yell at her, she was glad she wasn't all alone. Hinata had this habit to beat up herself mentally when she was lonely. She would start to believe everything her father told her; that she was worthless, useless and helpless... and she would hate herself for that. It would feel like her chest has a black hole filled with darkness, and it would eat up more and more of her. But she would at the same time feel so heavy, like the whole world's burden lies on her shoulders. Then she would start crying for real, even though it wouldn't help at all.

But she wasn't alone now, because Naruto stood there and watched her crying. 'What does he think of me?' Hinata asked herself. Through her swollen, tearful, lavender eyes she could see him start to get a sadden expression. Hinata tried to wipe her tears away from his sight, but new ones appeared anyway. Her shirt was soaked so she gave up the wiping. Now, she wasn't sure what she cried for as liquid rolled over her cheeks. She suddenly felt something else on her flushed cheek. It was warm and soft and gentle and... caressing. She recognised Naruto's touch and lifted her head a little to look at him. He had knelt down in front of her, like he was her shield against the rest of the world. Then, without a word, he carefully placed his other hand on her other cheek. Hinata could feel her heart beat faster and heavier in her chest, but she was unsure about the reason.

Naruto used his thumbs to wipe Hinata's tears away while still holding her head. Instead of crying, Hinata had started to hick sobs. She held onto her silver flute around her neck like it was a cross. "I... I... I-I'm... ah-" she tried, but Naruto shook his head lightly without losing her gaze.

"You don't need to say anything, Hinata," he told her and took place beside her on the bench. He let go of her head and suddenly embraced her. Hinata's eyes went wide and her heart trembled. She had never been hugged by someone except her family before, at least not by a guy her age.

But even so, she felt like she needed it. She needed someone to help her; making her feel better. It felt like he made the darkness smaller. It was still there, but with Naruto so close... it seemed to be almost gone. His chest was also warm, like the rest of his body. It felt so welcoming to Hinata, a feeling she had never experienced before... It felt like a home. Not her new or old home, but like a place she would always belong to. It was different from being embraced by her sister or her cousin. ...Her father had never embraced her...

With that thought she grabbed hold of his cloths and held him closer to her. She hid her face into his chest and kept sobbing quietly. After awhile Naruto silently asked her: "What's wrong, Hinata?"

Like on instinct she clenched her fists even harder into his shirt. "I... I... I d-didn't w-want... want you t-to know..." Her voice shook again. "None of you..."

Naruto carefully pushed her away from him. Still, they sat very close to each other. Hinata let it happen, even though it hurt her deeply. He shook her shoulder, making her look up to his eyes. 'They sparkle as well?' Hinata thought amused. "What didn't you want us to know?" he asked her serious but caring.

She blinked and then turned her gaze to the ground again. "I... I wanted a chance to be... just me. I wanted people to know me before they judged me for being... a Hyuga. I know my family have pretty bad reputation here, so I knew I would get it as well, right away when you guys got to know my identity. I just wanted to be... accepted... before you knew." Hinata took a deep breath before looking up at the blue sky. She would never tell him, but Naruto's eyes could even put the sky to shame. "I've never tried to hide it before, though. I didn't need it. Before, I had giant walls protecting... or keeping... me from the outside world. So I never knew someone else outside the gates really well." She smiled. It wasn't because she enjoyed being a prisoner in her own house, but because she finally was free from it. Still, she had that condition...

"Do you mean it?" Naruto asked in a somewhat weird voice. She looked back at him, but he turned away from her. Like he was annoyed or... embarrassed.

"What?" she asked him.

"I mean the fact that you were afraid of your family's reputation!" he answered, turning back to her. This was very close. Even Hinata knew that. It was briefly five centimetres between their faces. Both of them blushing, Hinata nodded quickly. She didn't know why but she just could look away from his eyes. It was like an ancient instinct buried deep down in her; she was not allowed to move... except forward.

'Kissing.'

Hinata swooped herself backwards without another thought. She still didn't manage to look away from the brilliant blue eyes. Naruto seemed unaffected by her sudden move as he, too, didn't stop staring at the other one.

Hinata: 'What did he ask me? Oh no, my face is flushing again. Was we really about to...?'

Naruto: 'Did we almost...? Wha... eh... I... I... ah... huh?'

Hinata choked once and finally looked ashamed at the grass under the bench. "Just what did you... ask me, Naruto?"

She could feel his glare burn into her skull. Then she heard him laugh awkwardly, and looked up at him. He scratched the back of his head and now, he was embarrassed for real. "I honestly don't remember! Sorry Hinata."

She made a face and then sighed softly. "I guess it can't be helped, then. By the way, shouldn't you go back to class?" Hinata questioned the blonde.

His smile vanished with the soft breeze. He once again got a saddened look in his beautiful eyes. Hinata tilted her head to the side, wondering what kind of memories he must have been lost in for spacing out like that all of a sudden.

"No," he said at last. "They don't bother if I'm gone. They're used to it."

Hinata swooped a little closer to him and lightly pat his knee. "Would you tell me about it?" He raised an eye-brown suspiciously. "You listened to me, so why can't I listen to you?" she tried to encourage him, but to no use. She understood the light side about this topic was long lost and forgotten.

"I don't do very well in school. That's all," he muttered.

Hinata was confused at first, but then they heard someone scream "HINATAAAAAA!" from the school entrance. They looked over and saw the same brown haired girl who had asked about Neji, looking around for them. Naruto started waving energetic.

"OVER HERE, TENTEN!" he shouted, forming a megaphone with his hands. She looked at him and then started running full speed. It looked like Tenten was about to throw her arms around Naruto at first, but she literally stumbled over him and threw herself at Hinata, tackled her to the grass with the brunette upon her.

She looked excited at Hinata, so excited it scared her. "Hinata, tell me; how was Neji as a kid? Have you even seen him naked? Is he always so quiet? Why did he hug you? Are you two close? Has he ever smiled? What if-"

"Tenten!" Hinata exclaimed, cutting her off. Tenten placed her hands on her mouth and giggled. Hinata sighed and struggled to get up. Tenten offered her hand and helped her up. Together, the three of them sat down on the bench; Hinata and Naruto at the sides with Tenten in the middle. "Can you please ask me one question at a time?" Hinata said.

"Hey, you three!" a female voice called behind Naruto. She had pink hair, green eyes, and wore matching cloths. It was Sakura.

"Hey Sakura! I was just about to ask Hinata about Neji," Tenten said and turned back to the dark haired, young woman. She was about to say something, but stopped herself. Hinata could clearly see that she thought hard to find the right question. Her face lit up. "How is it to live with Neji?"

Hinata blinked surprisingly. "Eh... normal, I guess. But it was a hell to share bedroom with him a period," Hinata sighed and rolled her eyes.

Tenten moved closer with an unbreakable curiosity. She nodded energetic. "Why?"

"Because he snores like a freeway in the afternoon-rush!" she exclaimed. It was a quick moment of silence before Naruto burst out laughing with Sakura tagging along right afterwards. Hinata could only smile of the new feeling of friendship staring to form. It was like the invisible bond the three friends shared, suddenly wrapped around Hinata as well. Then, the strangest thing happened, at least that was how Hinata looked at it. Sakura's laughter went over to small scream; like when a girl suddenly faces her favourite rock star of all times at the street. Naruto stopped laughing as well and turned to stare at something behind Hinata. Tenten only rolled her eyes.

Hinata looked confused from one friend to another. Then she heard the voice say in way to much disbelief to match the character: "Hyuga?"

Hinata jumped up from the bench, scared by being called her surname. But she hadn't been called that in years, and only one person outside the Hyuga gates had nick-named her that. She moved her glance slowly to the boy... no guy, he wasn't a boy anymore. He had a dark blue shirt and, like Naruto, dark jeans. His hair was duckbutt-formed and black, and his eyes were much colder than before. He stood a couple meters behind her with a shocked expression. Hinata didn't hesitate at all. She gave a huge grin. "Uchiha!" she said happily and gave him a friendly hug. Those others didn't quite understand how fast she had moved. Sasuke hugged her back for a moment and Hinata let him go. "It's been so long! How are you?"

Hinata guessed he was about to say something gloomy, but then he saw Hinata's silver flute shining in the sunlight around her neck. He carefully reached out a hand and held it between his index and thumb while he studied it closely. "Your mother's?" he asked her silently, but the other three hear him anyway.

Hinata got captured by old memories about her mother. How her smile always made her day and how much Hinata loved her more than anything in the whole world. Her mother had always been there for her. She nodded.

"How is she? Still liked to the bed?" he guessed without any humor. Sasuke, of all people, knew how it had been for Hinata at that time. She had, with six-year-old Sasuke right beside her, seen her mother in unbearable pain.

Hinata's face darkened. She looked at nothing in particular and her voice sounded... empty. "She died eleven years ago."


	7. Chapter 7: An Outcast

Chapter 7: An outcast

"It can't have been that long since I last saw you..." Sasuke pointed out. Both of them froze and looked at each other from the corner of their eyes. Then they started counting on their fingers.

"Nine years," he said determined.

"No; ten. I was still six years old," Hinata argued a bit childish.

"But I was seven and your birthday was right around the corner, if I remember right! It's also August now and I have already turned seventeen," he told her and stared at his old friend. Naruto was both confused and shocked. Confused, because Sasuke had never told him he had a Hyuga as a friend before. Though, it shouldn't surprise him since Sasuke used to have a lot of admires. But Naruto hoped unconsciously that Hinata wasn't one of his fangirls. It didn't seem like it, though.

"Um..." Sakura started and gained the old friends' attention. "How do you two know each other?" She sounded hesitantly. She didn't really want to know, it seemed. Hinata looked at Sasuke and raised her perfect curved eyebrows questionably. Sasuke sighed and waved weirdly to her.

"Well..." Hinata said and looked back at the others. "Since we both are from important clans in this town, we met at one of the big meetings. We were six years old and way too young to participate in the conversation, so our parents placed us in a room to play. After that, Sasuke and I became friends and did a lot of 'adventures' together." She shrugged. "But we haven't seen each other in a while and," she turned to Sasuke. "I didn't expect you to go to school."

He gave her a cold glance. "And why not? Did you think I would need therapy for that long? I haven't seen you since then anyway."

Naruto watched the scene and saw Hinata sigh. "I tried to call you, but you didn't answer."

"Wasn't allowed to."

"I tried to escape the estate, but they didn't let me out."

"What a shock."

"And I thought you still were imprisoned after what you did. That's why I didn't expect to see you here."

Sasuke's body suddenly tensioned. Naruto knew what that meant a second too late. Sasuke swung his fist towards Hinata's head. She didn't move, just stared into his furious eyes. She looked... disappointed? Sasuke froze before his fist hit her. He realised something. Hinata focused on Sasuke, straight-faced. Naruto was stunned over what just happened. The two stood still and stared at each other. 'No one... NO ONE has ever been able to do that to Sasuke! How could Hinata...?' Naruto thought confused.

"Were you really going to hit me, Uchiha?" Hinata asked him a bit saddened. She then stepped away from the frozen Sasuke and turned to walk away. "I'll go and get my bag..." she told them without looking and with less emotion than ever.

One second, Naruto couldn't believe what just happened. The other, he had laid his blue eyes on the dark haired beauty's back. Her every movement made her locks shuffle until the light breeze caught it, making it shine. Naruto's shook his head and waited until he was sure Hinata was out of view. Then he took one hard grasp at Sasuke's shoulder. "What the hell was that all about?"

The duck-butt unfroze and stepped away from Naruto. "Hn. I knew she would dodge it and wouldn't take any damage anyway." He turned away from him.

"BUT SHE DIDN'T DODGE IT!" Naruto shouted.

Sakura walked over to Sasuke and looked worriedly at his face. "I know that's you sore spot, Sasuke, but you didn't need to hit her like that! Talk to her like you have done with us..." she pleaded him and folded her hands under her jaw.

Sasuke wasn't really a part of our group, but they considered him as it. He would tag along whenever he felt for it and hang around with them at school. It was Naruto himself who had picked him up and melted him together with the rest after they started at Konoha High. Sasuke used to have girls after him all the time, even though he didn't pay any attention to them. But when he got imprisoned... the amount of fangirls shrunk and became zero. Sakura doesn't count as a fangirl, but she did have thing for Sasuke. She tried to help him out, hear him out and make it better for him. Unlike the rest of the girls, Sasuke didn't ignore Sakura completely. But Sasuke pushed everyone away from him. Well, that means almost everyone. Naruto had never expected him to so open to Hinata! Though, he would never believe Sasuke actually had a friend in the past either...

Meanwhile, Hinata stood outside the door to her last class. The period ended when Sakura and Tenten found them, so it had been awhile since. Hinata could only hope this wasn't a school where the doors locked automatically at a specific time...

The young woman silently opened the door and remembered she had placed her bag beside the teacher's desk. Soundless, she walked through the middle room, trying not to step on any object on the ground. Then, she opened the final door, revealing a dazzling amount of desks (since Hinata still isn't used to have so many classmates at once), a huge blackboard, the teacher's desk, her bag, and two people standing in each other's personal space. Then she saw it was her homeroom teacher, Kakashi, and another female adult making out... in a classroom... upon one of the desks... and Hinata watched it... She mentally slapped herself and started walking loudly to her bag and covered their direction from her view, with her hand. "Sorry for intruding, Kakashi-sensei!" she said as she grabbed her bag and ran out. Her steps made loud noise in the silent corridor as she made her way outside. She heard someone call for her from behind, but they could never keep up with her now. Hinata was fast. Speed and flexibility was her best physical abilities.

She flung the doors open and jumped over the stairs leading to the ground outside. 'Too much force!' Hinata yelled at herself as she was about hit the asphalt, face first.

"HINATA!" she heard Naruto scream in horror that felt like a mile away. Meanwhile, Sasuke rolled his eyes at the three friends in front of him. "She'll be fine."

As he said that, Hinata extended her arms towards the ground, ached her head, rolled over like it was a soft bed and stood elegantly up again after one roll like nothing happened.

"She still got it," Sasuke admired her aloud, making Naruto, Sakura and Tenten turn, looking terrifided by him. Sasuke, as usual, ignored them and snorted.

"I'LL GET GOING NOW!" they heard Hinata shout to them. Naruto's head popped up. 'Maybe I should walk her home? We're going the same way anyway...' he though. Then he saw Hinata's cousin standing beside her. 'Or maybe not...' but when he peeked at them again he saw a strange sight. Hinata and Neji looked like two different worlds, even though they looked alike; Hinata was bright and caring, but very careful about it. Neji was cold and careless. Yet, they came from the same family, had the same childhood, done the same stuff and (as Naruto thought) should have identical personalities. But they didn't...

Neji grabbed her wrist after she had waved off with her new friends, and started dragging her along with him. "What were you thinking, Lady Hinata? Telling them you're one of us? Have you lost your mind?!"

"It's not like I could do much more about it when the teacher demanded to know in front of the whole class!" she argued and released her wrist.

Neji took stance before her and covered her whole view. "Don't you have any idea what just happened? Don't you know what it means to have another official Hyuga at this school?" He nailed his eyes at her. She shook her head confused at him. Neji sighed. "You will get the well-known 'Hyuga reputation'! Until you prove them wrong, of course."

Hinata's eyes widened of his words and, to Neji's surprise, she smiled. "Do you think I can do it?" Amazement pleaded her voice.

He shook his dark thoughts off his head and gave her a smirk. "That might be the first thing you do right, in my eyes."

Hinata grinned widely and threw her arms around him. "I've really missed you, brother!" The brunette patted her head and they started walking again. They walked in silence for awhile. The heiress used this time to listen to her surroundings. He heard someone have a casual conversation by the stores on her right. When they entered the park she and Naruto had walked through on their way to school, Hinata heard the birds chirping happily to each other.

Neji finally asked the question whom had gnawed at him since lunch time. "My lady, please tell me what you traded to get this freedom." He looked serious at Hinata, but she refused to return it.

"I didn't actually give him anything. I just promised to continue," she told him and faked a shrug. In fact, this was a terrible to her. She tried her best not to show it and failed doing it.

"Hinata," he warned her, and for the first time without assigned her status. "I have seen what it does to you. And I know it will hunt you until you die, so please quit it!" he said and stopped her track. "All of us from the branch look up to you as a hope. You will be the kindest head we have ever had." He grabbed her shoulders.

Still without looking at him, Hinata felt tears burn in the back of her eyes again. "But you know that if I quit only one single fight, they would put Hanabi in it... and as long as I live, I would never let that happen to her!" She narrowed her eyes at her cousin.

Neji sighed and released her. They started walking again. "I know you care for her, but this will destroy you if it hasn't already!" he informed her while looking at random things in the street.

Without thinking, Hinata whispered "It has... partly." Neji reacted with looking quickly at her and was about to say something, but Hinata continued, cutting him off. "But even so, I don't want my sister to go through all I have just because I get hurt. If I can save her from that, I would rather take it all on me. And I would not stop doing so until I KNOW Hanabi wouldn't be forced to do that!"


	8. Chapter 8: Courage

Chapter 8: Courage

Neji's eyes melted. He sighed. "She wouldn't go through the same as you, my lady. You know that."

Hinata stumped as the pace continued. "I do, but she would also have blood on her hands the rest of her life..." Hinata stared at her delicate hands, like she wanted to burn holes in them. "She's just a kid. Even though we're different like black and white, I know she would suffer as well."

"You know... I haven't seen you two in a while, but still; I know Hanabi is strong enough. You have to see that she grows."

"No. It's you who have to see that she doesn't know better. She has been thought to like it, to adore it, to WANT it. She's raised that way... and I did nothing to stop it... nothing at all... Never." Her voice faded and she spaced out and into old memories. Her eyes got a grey shade.

"Let's leave this subject. I don't want to start a fight." Neji almost, but only almost, smiled at her. "I've wanted to ask you something."

"Which is...?"

"Stay away from Uzumaki." His voice was hard like rocks.

She gave him a puzzled look. "Naruto? Why should I? He hasn't done any harm to me."

"He's no good, Lady Hinata. He's impulsive, picks fights with anyone, has anger issues, and on top of that; he's bad in school as well."

When she thought about it, Naruto didn't really pay attention in class. She remember seeing him sleep (before the teacher smacked his head with a book), joke and complain... Never actually listen to what's being said. Hinata's heart ached. "Neji... don't you see what you're doing right now? You claim that you know him just because of his actions. You judge him, just like people do... to us..." She opened her eyes and narrowed them at him. "That isn't fair! Not to us, nor him!"

He got a shameful look. "You know I have to report this to the head, right?"

Hinata panicked. "What?! Why? Naruto has nothing to do with the clan, Neji!"

"If that's what I have to do to get you to away from him, then I will!"

Hinata planted her palms at his chest. "I don't think he represent any danger to me..." The heiress clenched her teeth. "Do you really want to take away the freedom I just got?" As her nails made permanent marks in his skin, he hugged her – wrapping his arms tightly around his dear cousin and ignored the pain in his chest. "Neji..."she said, her voice was low and sore. "For the first time... I was able to make... friends... Please don't... take them away... from me."

Neji sighed softly. "I just wish for your happiness and safety, my lady. If this will hurt you then I-"

Hinata cut him off. "Please stop assigning me as a higher rank." She pulled away from him and smiled. "We're equals, after all."

He gave her a real smile and fuzzed her hair with his hand. "Only in YOUR mind, Hinata." Then he blinked. "That reminds me; why do you walk when you have your bike?"

She gave a weak smile. "I... eh... haven't got it yet... It's still standing in the estate's garage. I think I was supposed to get it today."

Neji thought for a second. "I think if we hurry, we might get it before uncle finish his work at the company." His smile turned suggestively.

Hinata lit up, grabbed Neji's arm and started running in the opposite direction. They laughed. In the bushes nearby, Naruto watched it all. And he was rather confused. He had only heard mumbles of their conversation, but he had notice Hinata get upset by something Neji said. Then she had smiled so brilliantly and started dragging her cousin back to where they came from. 'She's one weird girl.' Naruto smiled to himself. 'But I like her.'

Hinata let out a laud sigh after she parked her motorbike at the school parking the next day. Her neighbour living above her had switched to metal music. Normally, Hinata didn't mind any kind of music, but when a bad written and bad preformed song is ruling the building at full volume early in the morning, it gives her headache. He really had no taste in either rock or metal music.

Hinata took her black helmet off and let her hair flow down her shoulders like waves. She had chosen to wear her dark jeans and a white shirt under her leather jacket since she decided to drive her motorbike that day. Getting the bike went easily enough yesterday. She even got to meet her baby sister, Hanabi, before they left. She had always been rather serious, but Hinata didn't mind; she loved her sister anyway. Her hair was brown like Neji's and her father's. But her eyes weren't cold like the head's. Hanabi's eyes had a deep love hidden behind the lavender colour. She had reminded Hinata about Saturday. Neji said he would be there to support her through it all. It made it all a little better for Hinata, knowing she would have both her cousin and her sister there. Hanabi still couldn't catch what was so bad about it, and Hinata had given up explaining it to her years ago. Their father had really manipulated her.

As Hinata started walking towards the main entrance, she saw a whole lot of people staring at her. Many faces look curious, but most were disgusted. Hinata moved her glance to the ground instead and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. 'I'm a Hyuga... and this is how it is in public,' she thought saddened. She must admit that the thought of the next school day hadn't really flashed her mind. Now the eyes of the whole school followed her as the whispers hang in the air around her. That was the only sound except mobile tunes signalising someone got a text.

Then, for some reason, Hinata stopped walking. She felt the urge to defend herself towards the rumours, but the words stopped at her tongue. She couldn't do it. She didn't have that kind of strength in her. The heiress strangled the urge to sob. The feeling of weakness overwhelmed her too heavy and too fast. Her nails were buried into her skin inside her palm as she struggled not to let the sadness take over...

"Hey Hinata!" a voice shouted behind some other students. Hinata's body unfroze and her head popped up to the direction of the familiar voice. Then, without a warning, Naruto stepped out from the crowd surrounding her, grabbed her wrist and started pulling her away from the staring students. Her heart pumped like crazy. As soon as they got away from the others, she let out a quiet sigh. The stress slowly started to shrink and she could breath normally again.

"I can't believe they said those things about you," Naruto said ashamed through his teeth. "Whisper like that and don't even have the guts to –" He got cut off by Hinata hugging him tightly. Naruto could slightly feel her body trembling. It wasn't something big, but Naruto hugged her back.

"Thank you, Naruto... for helping me," she whispered and let him go. She held her face in her hands and sighed. "This is just what I was afraid of; people who judge me because of my surname..."

"They don't continue like this forever, believe me, I know." Hinata looked at him puzzled. Naruto started to panic. "No! N-Not that I- I mean; I've see that Neji is no longer bothered by it, right?" 'Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it, Hinata!' he begged her mentally.

Hinata looked at him in the corner of her eye. "Riiight..." she said not convinced at all.

'YES! It worked!' Naruto cheered in his mind. "Anyway... it's something I wanted to ask you."

"Okay, shoot."

Naruto shrugged. "I don't really get what's so wrong with being a Hyuga. I don't even know why they all treat you like this," he exclaimed and extended his arms dramatically.

Hinata stopped walking, which made Naruto pass her with two steps. He looked back at her rather shocked face. "You don't know?!" A million thoughts raced through Hinata's mind just that moment.

Naruto looked a little taken aback. "What? Is it general knowledge now? Wait, I'm not very good at that either..." He scratched the back of his head and gave her a smile.

Hinata's mouth moved, but no sound could be heard... Just like the day before. Wide eyes stared at the blonde. And then, when she finally looked down, she mumbled: "I-I d-don't wanna... I c-could never... Why must... not me..."

Naruto looked at her face curiously. "Hinata?" he asked her.

Her head cooled down a little and she continued walking beside Naruto to the classroom. "Well... you see..." she started and gained his full attention. 'How can I tell him without scaring him off?' she asked herself. "My family have certain gangs of rebels that used to rule the streets of Konoha long ago. They always picked fight with anyone 'appropriate' and got into trouble. The reason why we're still marked as a bad clan is because every time a Hyuga has happened to come into fight with anyone, they have shown incredible skill and talent for fighting..." Hinata cut herself off and faceplamed her face. "No. Now I'm lying. People think of us as dangerous killer machines. And that's closer to the truth than anything else..." her voice faded but soon she realised she had spoken the last sentence. Now Hinata was the one to panic.

"Wait... all of your relatives is like that?" Naruto asked her, not noticing the panic written all over her face.

She nodded, not even sure if he saw it.

He stopped his track, which made Hinata be the one to pass him by a few steps. 'No...' She had buried her nails into her palms. 'I shouldn't have told him. Now he will look at me just like everyone else!' The darkness started to grow in her chest again. She did not face him. 'One friend was all I asked for...'

Then Naruto ran pass her, making her head pop up to look at him. He smiled at her, but then the smile vanished, causing Hinata to believe the worst. "We're gonna be late!" she said as a distraction. Both of them looked at each other before speeding off towards the classroom.

Just as Hinata entered the classroom, a silence infected the air inside. Her fellow classmates once again stared at her as she stood in the doorway. Maybe she just imagined it, but it seemed like they were even more disgusted by her than the other students. Hinata stood frozen, but soon she started to shake.

A guy stepped forward from the crowd of classmates. His hair were painted white and blue and his teeth, it seemed he had more rows than one, reminded Hinata too much of a shark's. He studied her appearance closely with his eyes. Then he snorted and looked away from her. "I wouldn't get fooled by you pathetic act, Hyuga-bastard. You're just one more arrogant asshole like the rest of your family!"

Experience in reading faces came in handy that day too. Hinata blinked. This guy... he was personally angry at her, or even more correctly; the Hyugas. She stopped shaking. "Wha..." she started, but the guy ignored her. The rest of the class moved closer. "W-What have my family ever done... to you?" It could be mostly anything from a simple insult to sending him to the hospital half dead.

He turned to her and stepped so close that he practically was in her face. His icy blue eyes were stone hard. "Your cousin almost killed my older brother."

Hinata couldn't do anything but stare back at him in defeat. Hinata only had one cousin, Neji. 'No... He would never do such a thing. I-It can't be! He might be short-tempered, but to try and kill someone? I know him better than this guy... right? Neji could never do that on purpose!'

Right then, an arm separated Hinata and the shark-guy, making her jump closer to the door. "Leave her alone, Suigetsu! That has never happened!" Naruto yelled at him. Since Naruto had his back to Hinata, she could only see Suigetsu step back and Narrow his eyes at Naruto.

"You're no better, orphan!" he spit at him. The last word echoed in Hinata's mind.

Naruto's back tensioned by the insult. It was something they've called him ever since they found out... that he was an orphan. The next second, Naruto had grabbed Suigetsu by his collar. But what the blonde didn't know was that he showed pure fury to the bully.

Suigetsu released himself from the grip. "What does someone with her status do with a low-life like you, anyway?"

Hinata, for the second time in past ten minutes, felt like she wanted to defend herself. But this time it wasn't just for herself; it was for Naruto too. Seeing him be so brave to stand up for her, and then get insulted because of it afterwards? That's when she stepped forward with her back to Naruto. 'No one will suffer for my well-being,' she thought more confident than ever before. She narrowed her eyes at the guy, making him step away from her. "Even with my status I'm practically an orphan myself, so don't you dare to call someone without parents a 'low-life' when you have no clue on how it's like!"


	9. Chapter 9: Karate Catastrophe

Chapter 9: Karate catastrophe.

The silence fell upon the class again. Suigetsu stared at Hinata like he didn't believe it. She stared back as emotionless as possible. But she has never been good at having a straight face. Hinata has always been the warm sun in the stone hard mansion she used to live in.

Suigetsu snorted and looked away. Hinata almost gasped. She had never won a staring competition before. "We already know you're a Hyuga. None of them is an orphan, so don't come here and claim that you-" he said, but stopped when Hinata walked away from him and towards the desks.

"You're right. I said 'practically'," she mumbled and hid her face in the shadow of her bangs. But on the inside, she truly wished to be parentless than being Hiashi Hyuga's daughter. She couldn't protect the secret about what kind of family she came from, but she had to protect the other two; that he was the next head of the family and the sport. The difference is that it is illegal to spoil those secrets.

Suigetsu chuckled. "The only one close to that would be the heir to the company," he continued. Hinata wasn't even sure if it was her he talked to. "Since his father, the head, works a lot and his mother is dead."

That made Hinata stop her track. Sasuke had respected her mother, that's why it didn't hurt to talk about her with him. But when this guy, this rude and disrespectful guy, spit at her beloved mother's grave like that... it made Hinata fry.

Yukiko Hyuga... the mother of Hinata and Hanabi Hyuga and wife of Hiashi Hyuga...

Normal citizens didn't know that it was an heiress instead of an heir. That was to keep Hinata's identity a secret. It was people out there who wanted her dead, just make up for a los the Hyuga clan had forced upon them... often the lives of people they held dear.

Hinata's nails made her palm bleed again. She still got the courage to defend her mother, but this time she wasn't allowed to do so. 'No one must know... who I really am...' She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked at the person. He stood faced to Suigetsu behind her.

"Leave it," Sasuke said coldly and loud. "It's Hinata's family you're talking about. She knew that woman... and so did I."

Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sasuke Uchiha claim to be friends with a Hyuga... in public. Still, she would never be able thank him enough for helping her right then.

Other pupils surrounding them began to chat loudly about the last sentence which had escaped Sasuke's mouth.

"So?" Suigetsu said and tried to get the attention of the class. "I wouldn't get fooled by a fake sad-face. Just wait until PE-class later; then we'll get to see her real fighting skills." He laughed.

"And why do you think that?" Sasuke asked coldly.

"Because we'll have karate combat today!" Suigetsu said joyfully. Hinata stopped inhaling and her heart stopped beating. "AND WE ALL KNOW," he assigned loudly so no one would miss this information. The chatting stopped. "that Hyugas are crazy fighting addicts. That has been proven way too many times at this school. And now it's her turn." With that he left for his seat with a few other people.

Hinata mumbled small words. Her heart had yet to start beating again. 'Karate combat?! That's way too close. I-I can't... it wouldn't work, I... it will happen all over again... they will... things are going to-' Hinata's thought got cut off by seeing Sasuke signal someone to come over. Then Sasuke stepped backwards and took a look at Hinata. He nodded to her and as he turned around and started walking in front of her, a pair of hands landed on her shoulder and forced her legs to walk. She looked up at the person helping her. Naruto returned her glance. His worried face made her heart start up again.

"Is it true?" he asked all of a sudden, startling Hinata enough to rip her out of the trance of his eyes. "That you feel like an orphan, I mean..." he hesitantly continued. They were walking towards some seats in the back row. Sasuke walked first, then Hinata and Naruto. Back there sat Sakura, Temari, Shikamaru, Choji and Lee. They, too, looked at Hinata with worry, but also confusion. As she passed a few of them, she felt someone touch her hand. She looked down on the pink haired girl with an emotionless face. Sakura smiled a little to her before Sasuke took his seat behind her. Naruto helped Hinata over the empty desk behind Sasuke and sat down beside her again. The dark haired girl looked around her and noticed that she was surrounded by people she knew: Naruto on the left, Sasuke in front, Temari at her right and Lee behind her. This protection made her smile, unaware that a certain blonde was observing her closely from the corner of his eye. But Naruto could never imagine all the happiness behind that little smile.

As the class ended, the eight friends walked down the corridor on their way to PE. It seemed like almost everyone had forgotten the little incident earlier, but Hinata didn't know that all of her friends here was thinking about it. Everyone except Hinata and Sasuke chatted and joked while the two of them walked a little behind so their conversation would be private.

"Do you have a plan, Hyuga? 'Cause I'm blank. There's no way Suigetsu would let you out of it!" Sasuke exclaimed silently.

"I bet he will force me on the mat too..." Hinata whispered.

"No doubt there."

Hinata sighed silently. "I don't know... Does the PE teacher use a flute? If not, we still have a good chance!" Hinata started to get her hopes up.

Sasuke facepalmed. "That's right; if he didn't, we would have nothing to worry about. But unfortunately he does." Both Sasuke and Hinata looked miserable.

"Thank you, Uchiha..." Hinata told him suddenly. "But you don't need to get dragged into this with me. You have nothing to do with it, you know." The last thing she wanted was to get an old friend into trouble.

Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder, making her stop. Then, he narrowed his eyes at her. "It's not about needing. I WANT to help you! I owe you at least that much..." they both started to think back to a moment none of them will ever forget. The moment Sasuke was seven and on a visit at the Hyuga estate when he got told that his whole family was murdered while he was there. Even after ten years, Hinata still thought that she didn't help him at all that day, when he locked himself up and refused to say something. But in reality, that was what had helped him the most, when she had talked to him even if he didn't reply.

"You guys coming?" Choji asked them and they snapped out of the memory. Before them were the doors to the wardrobes and Hinata started shaking.

"What are we going to do?" she pleaded her childhood friend through her teeth.

"I'll try to figure something out." With that, they separated and Hinata walked to the girls. But when she started undressing, she felt a lot of them staring at her.

The heiress looked around confused. "What is it?"

Sakura had the locker beside her and she just gave her a smile while taking off her pants. "No, it's nothing. It's just that we want to know how every part of your body looks like."

Hinata's eyes went wide and she blushed madly. "W-Why w-would you want to d-do that?" 'Isn't that kind of private?' she thought and couldn't believe it.

Temari snorted and rolled her eyes. She wore underclothing only. "Yeah, they did that to me a whole month after I transferred here from Suna. You're not the first one, Hina." She blinked to her, making her feel a little more relaxed.

"Wait. What did you just call her? Her name is Hinata," Ino stated.

Temari shrugged. "Like a nickname, you know. I just thought 'Hinata' is a long name so I shortened it."

Hinata got into her gym cloths and giggled a little. "That's what my sister calls me when she's in a good mood." She smiled warmly of the memory of her baby sister, her voice rapidity saying 'Hina! Hina!' as a little girl.

"So it's okay for you then? To call you just Hina sometimes?" Temari asked her.

"Sure it is! It brings back some nice memories." They left the wardrobes dressed in blue shorts and white t-shirts with a leaf in their back.

"Oh Hinata, here you go," Sakura gave her a rubber band. Hinata gave her a puzzled look. "Trust me, if we have karate today, I promise you would need it."

She thanked her as they walked into the huge gymnastic hall. It was stands, seats, equipment and everything you could ever think of being placed in such a place. It had wooded floor and walls, but in the centre of the floor laid a huge mat. The one they would practice karate at very soon.

Hinata didn't quite realise it at first, but she had stopped walking so Sakura and Temari pushed her to the crowd surrounding the mat. "Come one, Hinata! WALK!" they pleaded her.

As they finally reached the centre, Hinata caught Sasuke's glance. He nodded once, making her almost jump from happiness. He had a plan. Naruto took place beside the new girl and looked at her. "You okay?"

She nodded and blushed lightly for some reason. "Yeah. I was warned about the insults beforehand..."

She noticed Naruto's hand twitch. "And also, you never answered me. Do you really feel like an orphan?"

She pierced her eyes into the floor, avoiding all kinds of eye-contact. It's true that she feel that way deep inside, but on the surface she has duties as the daughter of the Hyuga head. And not everything was pleasant... She sighed and looked up at the blue eyes, but before she could say something, a bouldering voice interrupted the chatter. The lights in the hall got turned off and everyone except Hinata sighed and mumbled "here we go again".

"It's okay Hinata," Naruto whispered in her ear. "It's only our teacher who's making a big entrance as always..." he chuckled. She haven't even realised it had scared her, moreover that she clung to his arm tightly. She released him immediately and blushed madly. 'Thank god the light is off.' "Sorry," she whispered to him.

"It's just fine, really," was his reply. 'Damn it, I was enjoying that,' he thought regretfully.

"AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN..." Hinata heard a male voice fill the enormous room. Even more student's sighed heavily. "GRAB YOUR SUNGLASSES SO YOU WOULDN'T GET BLINDED BY YOUR TEACHER'S YOUTHFULNESS!" A spotlight flashed over the 'audience' and landed on the training mat. Out from no-where a green creature jumped into the bright light like a rockstar. A guy with shiny, black, bowl haircut, huge eyebrows and a pure green sweat suit stood up with a microphone in his hand. He reminded her so much of Lee. 'Maybe it's his father?' "MIGHTY GAI!" he yelled into the mic, causing a shockwave of sound to fill the room.

When Hinata finally got the hearing back, the only thing that could be heard was the loud cheering from Lee with stars in his eyes. She turned to Naruto who still covered his ears.

"Alright then, my youthful seeds of springtime love; today is karate combat. Because of that we, unfortunately, don't have time to do the heating so line up around the mat," Gai-sensei told them. Hinata looked puzzled while the others started cheering.

"I only understood half of what he just said," she mumbled silently.

"You'll get used to it," Naruto sighed and led her to the mat. "When he is in a good mood, he adds fireworks."

"Okay, listen up!" Gai-sensei announced when all of them had gathered. "Firstly, the one who stole my flute; I want it back. Secondly, I've heard that we have a karate master among us today! Thank you so much, Suigetsu," Gai said and turned to the guilty one who only smirked at Hinata.

'Oh no. He spoke about me to the teacher. What does that mean?!' She would figure soon enough. "No, no, no, no, no..." she whispered and started shaking lightly.

"So could our new classmate, Hinata Hyuga, please step forward to me?" Gai said, glancing over the crowd. Hinata didn't move a muscle. But soon the teacher saw a new face and came running towards her. Hinata panicked, but too late. Gai grabbed her hands and dragged her upon the mat so everyone could see her. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Hinata (who sweat-dropped). "Since you're a master the humanity have never laid their eyes on before; do you mind showing us your youthful dance of karate?" he pleaded her.

Hinata was dumfounded. "Eh... huh... w-wha... eck?" Then she mentally slapped herself. "Eh... W-What makes you think I'm a karate master?"

The bushy-browed teacher hugged her tightly while crying his eyes out. "BECAUSE OF YOUR SURNAME, MY LATE BLOOMER!" he announced. Then he turned serious and looked her straight in the eye. "So do us the honour of showing your greatness by being the first one to fight!" He turned to the other students. "Who wants to fight Hinata Hyuga in combat to test her skills?"


	10. Chapter 10: A Fight with the Past

Chapter 10: A fight with the past.

- "Lady Hinata, this is your opponent. He's from the respected clan, the Uchiha clan. Listen, I know you wouldn't be able to stop, but we'll hold you back. You see, my lady, you can't kill him this time. Maybe you'll get your chance later," her master said with gritted teeth to the six year old, lavender eyed heiress. She knew he wanted to take down all the other clans right away... just like the rest of the Hyugas.

Her heart... it felt like it would explode from exhaustion any second. Every beat was more painful. Every second passed slowly. In front of her stood her opponent relaxed, but terror hid in his eyes. He knew what was about to happen; something they both feared, but Hinata feared the most. The heiress was terrified. She didn't want to be sucked into darkness and wake up again with her hands coved in a friend's dark blood. Hinata tried to remember that Gai didn't have his flute because Sasuke stole it, and that she had nothing to be afraid of anymore, but still... she couldn't help the shaking.

It wasn't the first time, not even close. She had felt like this countless of times before her mind went dark. But no matter how many times she had to go through with this, it's could never become a habit. Such a horrifying thing wasn't something you could get used to. She was afraid and worried, nothing could change that. Hinata didn't want to get consciousness back and see the wood floor painted with Sasuke's blood... not again...

"Okay, youngsters!" Gai-sensei said loudly, snapping Hinata back to reality. She squeezed her eyes shut. 'FOCUS! You're the heir to one of the most respected clans here; you got to FOCUS,' she yelled to herself mentally. "Since the thief haven't bothered to return my flute, I guess we have to go on with the old 'Ready, Set, Go'," he said.

Hinata stopped hyperventilating. She didn't have anything to be afraid of anymore. Well, she never had but now she started believing it. No flute, no sound, no darkness, no blood. Her body had been so tense from horror and when she now loosed up her muscles, she felt like jelly. Sasuke, on the other side of the mat, seemed more relaxed too. At least a little. They still had to fight each other... or pretend to. Hinata had never been the bloodthirsty kind of person, so she would prefer to not ever touch him in a fighting match like this.

"Get ready," Gai ordered them. Hinata placed her right foot behind her and her arms in front of her; her left palm closest to her opponent and her right palm close to her heart, facing the opponent. This stance had been passed down the Hyuga clan for generations. She wore a straight face, but her eyes still had a warm love hidden in them. Sasuke let his right foot slip to the right side and leaned forward towards Hinata, his hands behind him like he was ready to run towards her. She noticed that his stance had changed in the past nine years.

"SET!" the teacher yelled out. Both Sasuke and Hinata ached a little down to prepare for the 'jump'. She nodded slowly one time to Sasuke. He saw it. Gai-sensei took a deep breath and then shouted: "GOOOO!"

No one in the room dared to blink as they saw the new student, a Hyuga, and the rebel, the handsome Sasuke, started to run towards each other with no hesitation at all. Naruto was worried sick. He had fought Sasuke himself and knew just how good he was and he could never even think that Hinata had a chance against him. That's when he got it all wrong as he watched in amazement.

Their heads were only one meter apart, eyes locked in concentration. Lavender and red totally focused. 'Sasuke have always, for some strange reason, got red eyes when he fights others... It must be the bloodline, his brother gets it too, I've heard,' Naruto thought. Then, out of the blue, Hinata jumped lightly over Sasuke and landed behind him as he kept running forward, unable to stop right away.

"What the...?" he said dumbfounded. The rest of the room dropped their jaw watching Hinata stand behind him with her hands behind her back as a good girl. She had jumped like her weight didn't matter at all and now she stood and WAITED for Sasuke to launch at her once again. Sasuke growled annoyed and come to her again. He swung his right fist like a baseball bat towards her head. But Hinata simply dodged taking one step to his left, leaving Sasuke hitting the air again. He tried to kick her; she stopped it with her arm.

That was their plan; Hinata would only dodge his attacks until the fight was over. Sasuke wasn't the person who got tired easily, so they kept it going like that for quite a while. Every student noticed every move they made, even Shikamaru had lifted his head from the audience stand to watch it. Hinata jumped away from Sasuke and avoided all attacks without trying to get the upper hand. But even though Sasuke didn't get tired, Hinata did after doing it for so long. Sasuke noticed it too, her blocks became weaker. Hinata huffed loudly and suddenly she placed a foot on Sasuke's chest. That threw him off guard. 'She's going to attack after all?!' But using force, she kicked off from him, sending her flying backwards.

Hinata's hair blocked her eyesight to left and right as she was in the air. She needed a short break from the constant attacks, even if it only lasted a couple of seconds. Her feet slide a little backwards as she landed again. 'My legs... I can't keep this up much longer.' Hinata's face was red from exhaustion and it seemed like Sasuke was starting to get tired too. She placed a hand over her heart and felt the rapid beating on the inside. Sasuke was already on his way to hit her again. She stood still a little while, if not it felt like her head would explode. He looked like a gorilla now when he forced his way to the heiress with fake eagerness on his face. Four meters. Hinata didn't move. Three meters. She looked at Sasuke. Two. He swung his fist, aiming for her stomach. One. She took one step to the left again, repeating what had happed in the beginning of the fight.

That's when it happened. The image... the image of six year old Sasuke lying on the ground... paralyzed, a deep red colour covering the usually white parts of his t-shirt. He barely breathed but a shiver went down his body from time to time. His eyes were wide in horror and fear as he stared at the six year old heiress dressed in a lavender dress covered in white flowers without a scratch from their fight. She was held by back by her the servants with full force from killing him completely so she stood and locked eyes with the weak creature before her. Her eyes were not light lavender coloured anymore. They had a gray shade, making her look even more terrifying... even at that age. Her face was plain from emotions as she asked a question she would never even think of doing if she was conscious: "Can I kill it now?"

Hinata screamed an ear piercing scream. But it wasn't because Sasuke had finally managed to kick her super hard in her stomach. It wasn't because he had made her fly ten meters away. And it wasn't because of the pain that followed it all. No; the memory made her scream. She had gotten to know Sasuke through that battle. If he hadn't demanded to know how the innocent heiress could turn into a... monster in human form, she was sure that Sasuke would kill her right afterwards. They became friends; he was Hinata's first friend ever. ...And she had almost killed him before they could even come that far. That's why she screamed. She screamed from guilt, shame, desperation, sadness and tears she wasn't allowed to shed.

Her back hit the floor first, sending a wave of pain through her whole body. It felt like a thousand needles pierced through her back and followed the nerve system throughout the rest of her. The whole her ached up from the ground before she kept rolling a few meters. Her head hurt like never before and she tried to get up. Sasuke would never kick her like that on purpose; he had expected her to block it... It was her own fault. Hinata rose up on her knees, holing her stomach. But she soon had to bend down again because of a thick liquid forced itself up her throat. She threw up blood, no doubt about it. Her eyesight got dizzier too.

"HYUGA!" she heard her opponent shout to her on a long distance right before a couple of strong familiar hands landed on her shoulders. She coughed, but only more blood came out of her mouth.

"Get her to the nurse right away!" she heard Gai order someone.

"No," was heard from the heiress. Her voice was rusty and scratching like cat claws. "I can walk... on my... own," she mumbled and slowly straightened herself up. To others, it looked like she was about to fall apart, standing on such weak legs like that. It was when she took the first step and coughed, that she fell down again.

Then, suddenly the ground disappeared bellowed her. The cold ground was now replaced with a warm body; someone carried her bridal style while running like hell out of the gymnastic hall. Hinata kept coughing up dark blood on that someone's t-shirt. She looked a little up to see who was carrying her, but she only got a faint glance of some whiskers before she passed out from blood loss and pain.

"Hey? Miss, are you okay?" a voice echoed in her head. Suddenly a faint light appeared in front of her, making her eyes blink. "Ah, there you are," the voice said clearer. Colours danced before her and started to make an image. A woman, about twenty years old with blonde hair and brown eyes stood beside her with a mini flashlight in her hands. "How are you feeling, miss?" She wore a green jacket and dark pants, her shirt showing the biggest cleavage Hinata had ever seen.

Then she remembered what made her pass out. She sat up quickly and looked around. "Where-" she started but got cut off by the spreading pain in her stomach.

"DON'T PUSH YOURSELF LIKE THAT!" the woman yelled at her and forced Hinata down at the bench again. "You must stay still, if you don't want to get more internal bleedings." She sighed tiredly. "I am your principal, Tsunade and you should get a check of your body at the hospital. It's not normal to throw up that much blood."

Hinata looked confused at her while holding her stomach. "What internal bleedings?"

Tsunade went and came back with a mirror. She carefully moved Hinata's shirt so her stomach was exposed. "And believe me, I've cleaned all the blood already..." she mumbled. Then, she held the mirror so Hinata could get a better look at the place. And what she saw threw her off guard. The place where Sasuke had kicked her, the right side, had turned into a purple area with the size of a football. The blood vessels looked surrounding the place looked like they were in pain too, but the main injury had the same colour like blueberry jelly.

"And now, you tell me how this happened. Naruto didn't want to for some reason..." Tsunade snorted.

Hinata looked shocked at her.

"Aha, that reminds me: he left a note for you." She walked over to her desk, grabbed a piece of paper and gave it to Hinata with a smirk on her face. "He left my office saying something about making about Sasuke's juice. No matter what it was, it didn't make any sense."

Hinata stared at the folded paper in her hands. "Umm d-do you think I can walk home?"

The principal shrugged. "It would be about time. School ended half an hour ago and I'm sure your parents are worried."

Hinata moved her glance to her feet. "No... he doesn't care and I'm living alone."

Tsunade looked curious at her student. "What's your name, miss?" she asked her and sat down on the bed's edge with a troubled expression.

Hinata sighed. "I'm Hinata Hyuga, I transferred her yesterday from my home school."

Tsunade blinked but suddenly laughed joyfully. A wonderful sound Hinata would never expect to appear in a conversation including her name. "And you have already been sent to the principal! My god, what an unlucky girl you are," she chuckled. Hinata couldn't help but admire her. "Don't worry, heiress, I'll take good care of- hey! Don't look at me like that, I'm a friend of your clan and I'm not afraid to admit it."

Hinata, now standing in the corner of the room, pierced her lavender eyes at the blonde. "Y-You can't call me that aloud, the walls have ears." Tsunade only laughed and made her go home, promising she wouldn't tell a soul about Hinata's identity. On her way out of the entrance, holding her bruise, she unfolded the note from Naruto. Inside was a crappy handwriting of a phone number and a short text: "Call me when you read this. I wouldn't kill Sasuke just yet."


	11. Chapter 11: It feels nice

Chapter 11: It feels... nice.

Her hands shook lightly. In her left hand, she held Naruto's note. In her right was her cell phone she barely used. It felt like her stomach ached from the sticking pain every time she moved. Okay, she didn't really know why she was so nervous about calling him, but she knew she had to. She typed the number and looked at it... for a long time. Her thumb going up and down above the green calling button. 'What am I so nervous about, anyway?' she thought and pressed it.

The tune sounded three times before someone picked up. "Hello?" Naruto said annoyed in the other end. "What now?"

Hinata hesitated. "Oh, eh, should I call again later?" she carefully asked. It was a moment of silence in the other end. "Hello? Naruto?" Confusion pleaded her voice as she felt the pain build up again. She carefully placed a hand on her bruise and inhaled slowly through her teeth.

"Hinata?!" Naruto finally realized. "How are you? Are you okay?" She understood that he waited for an answer, but right then she wasn't able to talk. It felt like a big animal chewed on her waist. But then she made the mistake of letting a weak but clear squeak escape her clenched teeth.

"Oh no... Hinata, listen; is there something I can do for you?" he asked determined.

The pain shrank a little, making it easier for her to speak. Hinata had changed back to the cloths she came with, dark jeans and a white shirt, and stood at the parking lot next to her motorbike. She stared at it longingly. It was a dark purple, high-tec cycle with blue engravings and decorations. Her bike was the most decorated and beautiful thing she had. It drove smoothly as if you were ice-skating, almost made no sound and it was fast. VERY fast. "Um... well, you see... eh… I can't drive home in this condition… but I can't leave my motorbike here either."

He thought for a bit. "… You're still at school?"

The Hyuga nodded, forgetting he couldn't see it. "On the parking."

It was some rustle noises in the other end. "Stay there, don't move one centimeter," he ordered her, making Hinata freeze at the spot.

But for some reason, she got the urge to look around and make sure she was alone. "Why?"

More strange sounds. "I'm coming."

That made her blink at first, but then she smiled a little. She blushed lightly and a silent giggle could be heard from her. It's been a long time since she had felt this way; like someone cared for her. 'So this is how it is to have real friends. I can get used to this,' she thought with a brilliant smile on her face. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?" he replied heavy breathed.

"...Thank you... so much..." she whispered, not knowing what else to say. The growing warmth appeared in her chest again. She kept smiling.

He laughed shortly. "Don't thank me yet."

"No... I mean it. Thank you," she kept whispering to him.

He didn't reply right away. "I'm soon there." He hang up.

"Up you go!" he said tried to place Hinata on the bike while not touch her injury. That wasn't an easy task. Naruto had convinced himself that Hinata couldn't climb up on the bike by herself so he had to carry her. "You know, you're not very heavy, even for a girl." He then accidently touched her bruise. She gasped and curled herself a little in his arms. Naruto carefully placed her on the ground while apologizing.

"It's fine. Why don't I just climb up myself?" She didn't wait for an answer, just went over to the bike and slowly placed herself on the backseat. Naruto sighed frustrated. "Can you drive?" she asked him.

Naruto smirked. "Yeah, but the police is keeping mine hostage since I kinda broke the law a couple of times." He chuckled of the thought and climbed on in front of her. "Whoa, this IS a beauty," he said in disbelief as he studied the dashboard.

Hinata found her helmet and brought it into Naruto's eyesight. "You should wear this, since you're the one driving."

Naruto looked at it. "No way! What will you use then?" he protested. "You're already enough injured!"

She made him take it. "Don't worry." She locked her arms around his warm waist. "I'll hang on tight," she said and blushed while smiling secretly.

Naruto paused everything he was doing for a moment. "Okay, fine," he said and put the helmet on. "'Smells like girl in here..." Hinata giggled. "Oh! That's right; since you haven't seen much of Konoha, shall I take you on a guiding trip?" he suggested while starting the bike.

"Um... A short one maybe? I have a thing I got to take care off before it's too late today," she said.

"I'm on it," he said and started driving out of the parking and away from the school.

If it wasn't for the wind in her face, Hinata would never believe they were actually moving. Naruto drove right through the town (in legal speed, actually) and headed to the more distant part of the state. The town Konoha was surrounded by beautiful woods, meadows and fields. It was a wonderful day with a cloudless sky and a warm summer breeze, perfect for a short trip to wherever Naruto was planning on taking her. As soon as the trees left her sight, all she could see was two gigantic meadows full of gorgeous yellow flowers surrounding the road. The breeze caught many petals, making them swirl up towards the clear blue sky sometimes. It looked... magnificent. Hinata had, at some point, placed her head at Naruto's back. When she realized that she was about to back away, but... it felt nice and it didn't seem like Naruto bothered, so she kept it like that. She hugged him tighter, feeling his body heat and heart beats. It caressed her cheek and she smiled sweetly while taking in the image before her.

"It's so beautiful..." she said aloud, disbelief pleading her voice.

She heard Naruto sigh so she looked up at him, her hair flying wave a-like behind her. "...yeah. It is," he whispered, looking forward. It was something more about the way he said it... longingly? She didn't know.

She buried her face in his black t-shirt. The wind felt like a mother's caressing on her cheeks... How much she missed her mother... Naruto interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey Hinata! Look over there! A castle!" he said and pointed at a huge white-like building with a lot of floors. It had gigantic, crescent-shaped windows elegantly placed on the walls. The building sat on the top of a huge bump in the field, making look pretty castle alike. "I don't know who lives there, probably no body, but I can always remember to have seen it." It was giant walls surrounding the so-called 'castle', blocking it from the rest of the world. "It's pretty amazing isn't it?" Naruto asked her.

Hinata trembled. She stuttered. "N-Naruto?" Fear. She was afraid.

"Yeah? Are you okay, Hinata?"

"... how f-fast can you drive?" she asked while staring in horror at the white building.

Okay, Naruto didn't have a clue on what she meant by that, but he speeded up, leaving the 'castle' behind the woods as they hit the forest. Hinata cling on even more than before, but she was shaking from fear this time. Naruto knew about a place not far away, a place where no one else lived close by. He took a sideway to the right, Hinata didn't seem to notice as he felt her soft face pressed against his back. He parked in the end of the sideway where a river was. It was a small area with only grass and one tree close by. A small quiet spot in the middle of nowhere.

"...Where are we?" Hinata asked him. As an answer Naruto got off the bike, picked Hinata up from the seat and carried her to the three. He carefully placed her by the three, her back against the trunk, and stared at her with worry. Hinata blinked of the sight and looked away, but it was hard since he was right up in her face.

"Do you know that place?" he asked her determined.

Hinata's heart jumped. He was close... VERY close. Their noses were only centimeters apart. She forgot about what just happen, because all of a sudden her mind only focused on Naruto. Her expression was somewhat puzzled as Naruto waited for her to answer, unaware that she had forgot about it.

"Well...?" he asked her, snapping Hinata back to reality.

She glared at the ground between them. "Yeah... that place... is the Hyuga estate," she whispered to him.

Naruto blinked. He was partly startled by that. But something bothered him. "But why were you so afraid? Isn't it your family who lives there?"

Her nails sunk into her skin in her palms. It wasn't really a secret... she just never had told anyone about it. "...yeah, some family I got..." she mumbled to herself. "It isn't really my family I'm afraid of... it's my father."

Naruto sat down beside her. "Why your father? What have he done to you?"

She looked up at him with saddened eyes. "He haven't... done anything in particular..." 'That's a lie and you know it,' she growled to herself mentally. 'Why don't you just tell him? It's not like it'll help, but you don't need to lie to him. He's your friend!' Hinata took a deep breath. Naruto listened closely. "I don't think Father have ever been much of a parent to me, nor my sister. Ever since our mother... ehh... disappeared, he has only cared about one thing. It's just something my father forces me to do... I would never do it myself, but for some reason I'm good at it. You might as well call it a secret talent. The only reason he sort of cares about me is because I have this 'talent' and he wants to use it... like all other Hyugas. They're just... greedy." She felt like crying, but held it back. "...and no matter how much I want to, I can never... be able to... stop him from using me, nor my sister as a... tool."

Her view was foggy; probably because she was about to cry. She could feel the darkness build itself up in her chest again, heavy as ever. But it disappeared completely when a pair of arms embraced her tightly. The heiress' face landed on Naruto's chest. She didn't know why but the sound of his heart beating made her feel like she was home. In a real home. Still, she couldn't stop the tears.

"You don't need to tell me more." Naruto's voice echoed in her head. He hugged her tighter. "Not when it pains you like this. I can't stand making my friends hurt." He said it like he's done something horrible to them in the past...

Hinata didn't want to bring it up, because she was sure Naruto wouldn't like it, but it was just as private as asking why she hated her own father and had left her home. Still, she prayed he wouldn't get mad at her. ...Or worse; sad. "...Naruto, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure," he said with his face buried in her hair.

"I hope it doesn't offend you, but... I was just wondering how your parents were like?"


	12. Chapter 12: Warmth

Chapter 12: Warmth.

Naruto placed his back against the tree behind them. Then he looked at Hinata who were watching him. "You coming?" he asked her and smirked.

Since he hadn't actually walked away, she figured he wanted her to sit between his legs. Okay, she was new at this stuff, totally blank. Not everything came naturally. Honestly, she didn't have a clue on where this was heading, but she crawled to him. Hinata smiled confused before Naruto dragged her into a hug from behind. She yelped surprised. He had placed one arm on her stomach to avoid the bruise, and the other one went from shoulder to shoulder upon her collarbone. She had her head under Naruto's jaw and it didn't seem like he was bothered by it. It was nice to sit like this. It felt... right.

"My parents, huh?" Naruto said, starting to answer the question. "I don't remember much of them even though I was eight when they died in an accident. I was the only one who survived it, but I got quite a concussion so the only memories I have of them is kinda blurry. But I know I loved both of them very much." He took one of her hands in his. His large and rough hands almost swallowed her soft delicate ones. But there it was again; that odd warmth. He lifted their hands up towards the sky; sunlight caressing them. "Who knows? Maybe they're watching me right now?"

Hinata understood that Naruto had a different kind of pain. It was something only a person who had experienced the same thing could understand. Hinata wasn't that kind of a person. Yes, she had lost her mother and had a father who hated her, but at least she could remember her mother. She could remember those moment she treasured the most, like when she and her played in the yard of the mansion, laughing. When Hanabi and herself made up a song about being a heiress. ...how Hiashi always looked at his wife, with proud and loving eyes. She smiled curiously. "I hope my mother is watching me too."

She could feel Naruto twitch, but pretended not to notice. "...how did she die?" he asked her hesitantly.

She didn't want to answer that question... but she owed him. It pained her deeply to speak of her death. It was like something got ripped open inside her, like an old wound. Hinata still had nightmares. But not because she was left alone, no, but because she was there when she died. "She was murdered." Hinata voice sounded like inside of a dark graveyard as she told him. "Or rather; she died afterwards from the injuries and wounds the murderer caused her. But that's not what the Hyuga clan tell the outsiders. They say she sadly died from decease... It's horrible to listen to them covering my mother's gave with lies like that."

Naruto was quiet for a while. Hinata brought her hand down and found her flute. With her head she could feel Naruto's pulse inside his neck.

"Do you miss her?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah... but I can't have her back." You would have thought she was on the edge of crying, but no, she had cried it out long time ago. Though, she had played an important part in the murder and she could never go back in time to change that. It had taken her years, pain, memories, but she had finally accepted her mum's death. And she couldn't do anything about it.

They both stayed quiet for a little while. Hinata looked up at the sky again. The few clouds there had turned into an odd color; purple. The sky itself was about to turn orange itself. She got disappointed as she watched the blue got washed away, but suddenly figured orange were quite a beautiful color too.

"What time is it?" she asked suddenly. Hinata had just started to remember that the lady in her apartment block wanted to talk to her today. She looked up at Naruto behind her. He was facing the branches above us so she couldn't see his face.

"Ehhh... about eight, maybe?" he said tiredly.

"Already?" she said surprised. "I have to get home. Some lady wants to talk to me."

"Same here, but I'd rather ditch that meeting 'cause she'll just yell at me." But even though he said that, he lifted his arm from her collarbone. Hinata didn't move. She quite enjoyed sitting there, resting her head at Naruto's chest and feel... wanted. Sure, Neji and Hanabi wanted her and loved her, but it wasn't the same. Their love kind of ended up in the shadow from her father's hate towards her. Plus, they're family and she's the heiress, so she thought they had to love her. So she didn't feel any real love, because she thought it was fake. Though, she loved them with her whole heart. But Naruto didn't know she was the heiress, a princess, nor she thought he knew much of the Hyuga clan's money and wealth even though he'd seen the mansion.

"Hinata, you have to move if you want to get home, ya know," she heard Naruto say to her.

She sighed. "But I don't want to move."

"You'll catch a cold sitting there wearing only a t-shirt," he argued, not knowing why he actually did it.

Hinata smiled and grabbed both his hands. She brought his palms to her cheeks and pressed them tightly. "No way, not when you're so warm." It was true. She couldn't possibly catch a cold if she stayed like this, so close to him.

"What's your address anyway? I can't drive you home if I don't know," he asked when helping her up. Her bruise hadn't gotten any better and straighten up like that didn't really help it. She told him (a miracle she even remembered it) and got a huge grin as a reply.

"Really?" He cheerfully picked her up and managed to place her on her bike.

"Yeah, so you know where it is?" Naruto sat climbed on as well and started it.

"Let's say it would be weird if I didn't." That made no sense to Hinata, but she let it go as he started driving.

The trip was short, it seemed like Naruto knew a lot of shortcuts, but she still held on to him tightly. Too soon they'd reached her apartment block; it was painted yellow centuries ago and the painting was about to fell off. Many of the windows looked rusty and worn out, and the balconies weren't much to talk about either. The building were mostly surrounded by asphalt and a few trees here and there. Across the road were a little forest, still turning from green to orange in the early autumn breeze.

Naruto parked her motorcycle in the parking lot right outside the apartment. As he helped her off, Hinata holding her bruise, a tiny old lady came running down the stairs at the building's side. She had hundreds of wrinkles and her gray hair in a bun.

Naruto laughed at her. "You shouldn't use such small steps running down the stairs, old hag. You'll trip."

"Watch your mouth, kiddo. I'm about to kick you out," her little rusty but still powerful voice said. She turned to Hinata and in one second her attitude changed greatly. "Miss Hyuga, nice to meet you again. I'm sorry you had to run into this trash of a human here," she said and pointed at Naruto.

'WHAT did she just say?!' Hinata thought angrily as she gave the old lady a deathly glare.

Naruto just snorted. "Watch your own mouth, grandma. I'm only playing nice guy cuz she's here." He nodded at the heiress.

The woman just ignored him and handed Hinata pen and a paper. It looked like a contract, but numerous of people had signed it. "What's this for?"

"You just sign it," was what she told me.

"I'm not signing anything I don't know what is."

The old lady sighed. "We only need one more person to sign it and then we can finally kick this bastard out the building. I'm sure you've heard all the loud music that disturbs all of us. I mean, you couldn't actually ignore it. You live right under him too so you get most of it."

It was an odd silence as Hinata and Naruto tried to process the fact that they've yelled at each other and cursed at each other without even knowing who the other person was. Naruto had been to blunt to figure out when Hinata told him her address. They didn't look at each other but both of them looked pretty dumbfounded.

"No." Hinata was the first to say something. Still with a speechless expression, she said "I'm not signing it." She blankly pressed the paper back into the old lady's hands.

The lady stomped off back into the building saying something about Hinata not getting a Christmas gift. They two still stood there. That is, until Hinata started walking to the stairs. She silently began to climb them from the first floor. In daze she unlocked her door at the second floor and walked in. She closed the door and took of her shoes.

"So let me get this straight," someone said behind her, making her jump into the door in front of her. She yelped and turned to look at Naruto, who stood leaning against the wall right behind her. "You're the new annoying neighbor? Man, I could never think you'd scream like that." He grinned at her.

Hinata's eyes flicked. "Not that I mind your company, but how did you get in?!"

He pointed behind him, at the open porch door. As mentioned, Hinata's porch was a lot smaller than the neighbor upstairs' aka Naruto's. "I came through the door. I used to climb up that way when I lost my keys. Which reminds me," He hit his pockets. "I've lost them again."

Hinata looked puzzled at him. "So what you're saying is that you can break in to my apartment whenever you want to?" she said, walking into the living room/kitchen. She was starting to wonder if she would just call it kitchen. Naruto followed her.

"Nope, not 'break in' but 'visit'" he corrected her joyfully. Naruto didn't seem like the type who loved to cook, so Hinata offered to make something while Naruto looked around at the few stuff she had brought with her from the Hyuga estate. She didn't make anything in particular, just took what she found. As she finished putting the food on the table, Naruto sat down across from her and they started eating.

She must admit seeing Naruto eat was entertaining. He never slowed down as if he could eat everything without stopping. But at some point she managed to ask why he always played his music so loudly. That made Naruto stop eating and clench his teeth, as if it was a touchy subject. She was about to apologize, but Naruto interrupted her.

"No, it's fine. The reason is actually very simple; I concentrate better when I listen to high and heavy music." She looked confused at him. "I use it for studying. I'm bad at school and no matter how much I try to pay attention, it doesn't help. So I try to study for my own to catch up when I'm home."

That explained a lot. He woke up earlier than necessary to prepare for the day, but she didn't really believe him when he said he tried his best to pay attention in class. She smiled at him. "Isn't there any other way for you to concentrate?"

"Not that I know at least," he said as they did the dishes. Naruto placed himself at the sofa afterwards and Hinata went for the porch door. She opened it wide and stood there as the cool breeze hit her. It was late now and the stars had just started to appear. It wasn't much light in the room either, just a faint light from the lamp at the kitchen. The view looked like a bunch of shadows at this time of the day.

"You'll be sick if you keep getting cold like that," Naruto told her.

She turned her head and smiled at him with a slight blush in her soft cheeks. "But you're here, right? I wouldn't get sick then."

As she turned her head again to face the view, a couple of arms embraced her waist tightly her from behind, pulling her back and into his body. She suddenly didn't feel cold anymore. Naruto put his head on her right shoulder. "But that would only work if I hold you like this."


	13. Chapter 13: Blessed

Chapter 13: Blessed.

Hinata's heart jumped nervously. Something inside of her… grew. His hug was tight, but at the same time so gentle. He turned his head to the left, placing his cheek on her shoulder so he could look at her. She could feel her face heat up. She liked this, no doubt about it. Wait, no, she didn't. It felt stronger than that. She LOVED it. Love in a new and a bit confusing way she had never experienced before. A great sensation went through her limps; strong and wall-breaking flow of pure happiness! And that was even before she felt a pair of rough lips rest at her neck. She had to admit, at first she didn't know what was going on. But after two seconds or so, reality started to infiltrate her mind. Or rather; Naruto infiltrated her mind. There was no other human being in the world but Naruto. His movements made the earth circle. The only thing that made sense was Naruto. Their surroundings didn't matter, not the time, neither the noise coming from Konoha outside her window.

From that moment on, everything went on instincts. There was no thoughts and no one was going to stop them, so why not? Hinata didn't need to think; like she had lifted her right hand up to his neck, as for asking him to kiss her again. And he did, a soft kiss on her jaw. It's not like she hasn't seen the movies; she knew what was coming… and got the well-known butterflies.

Naruto placed his right hand on her left cheek, still standing behind her. It trigged her to look into his eyes. Hinata's eyes were filled with wonder, curiosity, carefulness, but also happiness. It wasn't a suggestive sight, but her whole delicate face smiled at him. And that was more than Naruto could ever ask for. And better was; she enjoyed it just as much as he did. Naruto had given up on girls long ago, when they started to fear him. They always unconsciously made way for him, not really encouraged him to even talk to them. So seeing a girl as kind and beautiful as Hinata wanting to be with him like this, it made him feel so… warm on the inside. Even in the moonlight his eyes sparkled like the most brilliant stars there is out there. Naruto smiled warmly at her, making her feel safer than ever. She couldn't help but smile back at him, she just felt so happy like this. Naruto still hold her waist with his left hand as she turned to him. Instincts. No thoughts. Hinata caressed Naruto's face with her hands. Naruto pulled her closer. He held her slender waist tightly, ached down and finally… kissed her soft and untouched lips.

Remember Hinata felt something grew? It filled her entire body and wrapped itself around Naruto too. She felt a loving smile form on her lips as she kissed him back. A new sensation exploded inside her. And as if Naruto felt it too, he kissed her again, deeper. Emotions were out of control, but it didn't matter; it's supposed to be like that. Hinata clung to Naruto's neck and buried her fingers in his messy hair. It was softer than it looked like, just like his kiss was too. They tried to get as close to each other as possible, tried to close any space between them.

At one point Naruto gently shoved her against the balcony door. Hinata felt no darkness. He kissed her deeper every time. It didn't exist anymore. He caressed her face lovingly. Naruto had destroyed the heavy hole in her chest that had just grown over the years. She gasped for air whenever she got the chance, but still longed for more each time. Hinata started to feel dizzy. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen or everything else besides that, but her knees gave in and she fell to the ground, out of breath. Naruto had trusted the door to support her the most, so she kind of slipped away from him. Naruto knelt down quickly enough to catch her before the rest of her body hit the floor. He carefully took her face in his hands. She was warmer than he was.

"Hinata, your face is flushed red. You should have stopped me earlier," he whispered out of worry, blaming himself.

Hinata's breathing had calmed. She smiled at him and laughed a little. "I didn't want to."

Naruto kissed her forehead and picked her gently up bridal style. Hinata looked confused at him. "I'll carry you to bed. You're in no condition to walk anywhere," he stated seriously. Hinata just rolled her eyes and giggled at him. But she still hooked her arms around his neck and rested her head at his shoulder.

This was the only time Hinata wished her apartment was bigger. The trip to the bedroom seemed way too short. Naruto tilted his head at the sight of her bed. He had seen it earlier, but it was first now he noticed what was different from the ones included in the apartment. It was a huge master bed with nice-looking purple covers and a veil surrounding it. It had old and beautiful carvings engraved in the wood. A very girly bed at the first sight, but still mature enough for a girl like Hinata. Naruto nodded towards the bed. "What's up the huge bed?"

Hinata kept clinging to his neck. "I brought it with me from the estate. It was my mother's old bed before she got married."

Naruto just nodded and placed her on the bed. Hinata looked around awkwardly. She glared at Naruto and raised her eyebrows. "What is it?" he asked uneasy.

"Um… I'm not changing while you're here, Naruto."

At first, he didn't really understand what she meant. Then, his eyed widen in realization and he blushed slightly. He turned, headed for the door and closed it shut. Hinata sighed softly and got off the bed. She looked for her pajamas in her dresser when it hit finally hit her; when she understood what that had just happened. Naruto had kissed her. Many times too. She still felt high on happiness from it and probably walked around in her own fantasy world. The heiress felt her cream-like face heat up again. She found the t-shirt and shorts she slept in and changed into them. She throw her jeans and shirt in the drawer and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

She opened the door to the living room and stuck her head out. "Naruto?" she called.

"Over here!" she heard from the balcony. Hinata went outside, only to find a flexible ladder hanging from Naruto's apartment that reached down to her own. Naruto climbed down and grinned at her. He sat down at her balcony's fence. "I thought it would be easier this way." He had changed to pajamas too and his outfit looked a little funny. He wore a white t-shirt with an orange swirl on, green boxers, but what was funny about it was his adorable black and white sleeping hat. Hinata had to touch it. As a result of that, Naruto grinned at her and placed the hat on her instead.

Hinata blushed. "How do I look?"

Naruto thought for a moment, adjusted it a few times before he took her face in his hands. He looked like he was about to cry. "ADORABLE!" he said, without doubt. He didn't give the Hyuga time to think before he brought her face to his to give her a goodnight kiss. Hinata fell into it instantly. Her palms rested at his chest. It wasn't like the other kisses. This kiss was meant to be long and sweet. Still, their emotions acted like fireworks on the inside. And then, way too fast, it ended.

Naruto admired Hinata's new addition. "You can keep it for tonight if you want to. It'll protect you while you sleep."

Hinata nodded sleepy and kept smiling at him with a soft blush in her cream colored cheeks. Naruto kissed her lips one last time and grabbed the ladder. With one hand still holding Hinata's cheek, her holding his hand there, he whispered: "Goodnight."

He climbed up with Hinata watching him. She went inside on shaky legs and closed the balcony door behind her. She still smiled so brilliantly. She had never felt so good, nor so appreciated before. Something landed on the floor below her. Liquid. 'But it didn't rain outside.' She touched her heated face. Yep, she cried. For the first time in her life, she shed tears of happiness. The strong warm feeling was still there inside of her, still chased the now weak darkness away. 'So it's true; love DO really overcome everything,' she thought to herself. Then she stopped her track. No, she couldn't compete with the fact that it was love. The warm and protective feeling was love. It wasn't just a simple teenage crush, it had skipped that stage. She had fallen in love with Naruto Uzumaki. And this fact didn't exactly stop her smiling.

She turned off the lights and went to bed. That's when her forgotten bruise started to hurt again. This puzzled her. Naruto held her waist so tightly it should have made her pass out or crumble before him. But she hadn't noticed it for real ever since she called Naruto at the parking lot. 'I guess Naruto erases all sorts of pain.' She had expected to not being able to fall asleep, but she was so tired and her body demanded sleep.

Her alarm clock went off, causing Hinata to sit up instantly. It wasn't a good idea. She felt dizzy from the sudden move as she reached out to turn it off. But her hand couldn't find it on the nightstand. As she sat up she faintly started to believe that yesterday had only been a crazy dream and that she now woke up to Wednesday again. Hinata started to panic. Yesterday had been the best day of her life. The weather had been perfect, Sasuke had bruised up her waist, Naruto had taken her on a ride, to a beautiful spot in the forest and home again. He lived on the floor above her and… he had kissed her. He had chased the darkness away from he; something no one had been able to do.

She found the alarm clock on the floor, she had probably kicked it in her sleep. Hinata switched the switch, put in back on the nightstand, and turned to her mirror by the dresser. She stood there, staring at herself in an odd way. Then she smiled brightly. Yesterday had happened. She still wore Naruto's black and white hat. A giggled escaped her lips. She didn't find herself adorable, but Naruto obviously had. She found her cloths; a pair of black and thick tights (fall had started and it was chilly outside in the morning), her brown favorite skirt, a light purple, long-sleeved shirt with buttons and a long, dark purple, thin jacket. She threw them on the bed and headed for the shower. Once done with dry hair, she got dressed and made some breakfast. She didn't want to drive to school today. Today, on the new, chilly autumn day, she wanted to walk and enjoy the pretty colors. She checked the clock. School started in 45 minutes. The walk took about 20 minutes. She figured she might as well start walking now. She could take her time to daydream while watching the orange leafs. Finding her long leather boots and shoulder bag with books, she locked the door behind her and walked down to the first floor.

Hinata had just reached the entrance to the park when she stopped to admire the colors. It looked so bright, warm and wonderful. The foliage's new colors filled the whole park with dancing light every time the soft breeze caught the upper branches. And in one brief moment, it reminded her of Narnia. She laughed. The feeling was still in her, the happiness caused by Naruto Uzumaki, the one she loved. She took a pirouette for no reason. She just felt so excited and needed to express it somehow.

Her hip hit something, causing her to remember the pain from the injury. But when she looked up and saw Naruto smile at her, the pain faded like nothing had happened. He wore his usual cloths: sleeveless black coat, white shirt, orange and black ripped jeans. "You left without me," he greeted her and slid his arms around her waist again. God, how nice that felt… and god, how much she wanted to kiss him. Hinata blushed deeply and look away from his eyes. It was felt different to do this sort of things in public. But it was early in the morning and they were the only ones close by. Her flushed face was turning back to creamy, so she look up at Naruto.

He leaned in to touch her lips with his own, but Hinata grabbed his hands and dragged him with her, into the beautiful forest. Naruto looked disappointed, but curious of what she planned. It was a huddle of low branched trees close by and Hinata dragged him with her behind them, shielding them from unwanted audience. He stopped her once he was behind the trees too. Little did Hinata know that he died to kiss her just as much as she did. "This is far enough," he said and held her face close to his like it was made out of fragile glass. The butterflies gathered together in her stomach again and she slightly blushed.

He was teasing her by holding her so close. 'Please, for the love of God,' she begged him mentally. And, as if he heard her, he fulfilled her wish. Hinata slid her hands under his warm coat and pressed th. Just like yesterday, her emotions freaked out, but somehow she managed to keep calm. And it may sound cheesy, but it felt like her lips was Naruto's perfect match.

To Hinata's disappointment, Naruto stopped kissing her when they heard a faint voice say: "I mean it; if I have to drag you out of the house again, Skikamaru, I promise you wouldn't live much longer!" It was clearly a frustrated Ino speaking.

Naruto and Hinata peeked at them through the branches. It was Ino, Shikamaru and Choji on their way to school. Hinata guessed they lived close by too. Shikamaru just rolled his eyes at Ino's threat. Choji frowned at her. "Ino…" he sighed.

"Oh, don't you start, Choji! At least you can get out of bed and get ready in time, while this lazy bastard," Ino kicked Shikamaru's leg, "can't even get out of bed by himself! And I'm tired of waking up so early just because I know I have to-" she kept yelling at them, but they had passed them and were out of reach.

Naruto took Hinata's hand. "We better get going too. It's not like the bell is waiting for us." Hinata followed after him back to the trail. She held his hand as if it was a precious charm. And it was.


	14. Chapter 14: Thursday

**Hello readers!**

It was suggested that I should respond to the reviews before the chapter began (thank you, XxShatteredSunxX). I'm new with and I don't really know how things work here, but I'll give it a shot:

I see some of you have wishes and requests for the story, and that's awesome don't get me wrong, but I have already written 18 chapters and I have planned out most of the plots here, so I'm sorry if I don't fullfill your wish. Feel free to share your thoughts of the story (I pary they're nice ones) and if I ever need help with a part of the story that I don't seem to get right, I'll let you know, okay? ;)  
It was requested that I should make Sasuke fall for Hinata in order to cause a fight between Naruto and Sasuke - I got something like that planned, but I try to avoid litting Hinata and Sasuke's relationship becaomse anything more than close friends. And I also hate to make close friends hate each other in my stories, that includes Hinata and Sakura too, but I can't promise there would be _no fights at all between friends_. There will be. I don't support SasuHina or NaruSaku, just so you know.  
Sasuke being improssioned was also being questioned - Well, I try to make the characters being similar to the ones in the manga, and seeing Sasuke being a missing-nin I made this Sasuke doing some illagal shit because he had a huge emotional overflow due to being alone and his family caught up in the "accident". I didn't explain it because I don't want Sasuke's past in the prison to take up a major part of the story, I mentioned it to make up for his character issues.  
The trading between Hinata and the clan - I know there must be questions about this part of the story, but patience is gold! It's an important part of the story and I even made up a sport just to explain it all hahaha  
"Good chapter but a little short, this chapter is good" - Yeah, sorry about that. I don't write more than 5-7 Word pages on the most recent chapters. I also try to end each chapter with a little cliffhanger and that means I sometimes write more than usual, or less.  
"Does Sasuke want to get revenge on her?" - No, they became good friends after their fight at the age of 6 and feel no hate towards another. When they first met in the story and Sasuke almost puched her; that was out of rage because Hinata hit a sore spot and caused him to shortly flip. He's still supposed to go to psykolog, but really, would Sasuke Uchiha take help from anyone? No.

And I want to just hug all of you for all the lovely reviews you send me, and encourages me to keep writing! I fangirl over each one of them *hides embarrassment*.. 3 But just so you know, when I upload the ongoing chapter here, it might take... weeks before I upload another one. Just a warning - I have so much to do! But please, reviews are gold too, so keep them coming! If you have questions, let me know and I'll answer them the best I can, but if you see there's something I try to hide, think twice before you ask :)  
**Enjoy this chapter including NaruHina cuddling!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Thursday

Then Hinata come to think of something. "Naruto, can I ask you for a favor?"

He looked at her grinning. "Sure."

His smile made her dizzy. But still she knew he wouldn't like it. "Please don't get mad, okay? It's about Sasuke. Please don't harm him after what happen yesterday…" But on the inside she knew Naruto couldn't handle Sasuke's strength and skill in fighting. Hinata knew how good he really was, and that act in gym class the day before was nothing compared to what he could have done.

Naruto stopped walking, but didn't let go of her hand. She could see that it troubled him. "Why not? Haven't you seen the huge bruise he gave you, Hinata? Of course I'm not going to let him walk away just like that!" He was on the edge of being angry now. All these new emotions people showed her now… Hinata had been shielded towards troubled feelings from others. And that means that she didn't know much about how to calm him down. But she had hugged and comforted Hanabi when she was sad and upset. That must have been close enough, right? Plus, she didn't want Naruto to feel angry, he was too good of a human being to feel this way. He didn't deserve it.

Hinata let go of his hand. Naruto's heart sunk. And that moment, even though he was close to Hinata, he felt the ocean of loneliness starting to surround him again. It had been close to drowning him many times, the next time more painful than the other, but he always somehow managed to keep his head above the surface. He rememberd imagining the never-ending water was colored pitch black… like heavy ink.

That Tuesday, when he met Hinata, had been the last time he left like drowning. In the morning he had again been threatened by the lady next door, but this time she had crossed the line: she had insulted his parents and blamed them for raising him up so that he turned out the way he did. Naruto had been close to kill that old hag, at least hit her, but he knew they would have been disappointed if he did so. And he did not want to shame his parents. So instead he had left the building, running like hell to get away from there. He desperately needed some time to think and sort things out before he went to school, so he had chosen a detour. His head had boiled and his heart had pounded like never before. 'I just want to get away, no, I need to get away. I can't take it anymore. It's just too much! I can't handle it this time.' And just when he had decided to ditch school, he saw a blue haired girl about his age swirl around with no-where to go it seemed. 'That looks so stupid,' Naruto had thought. His emotions where still racing, but the sight distracted him, making him almost chuckle. Her footwork looked really amusing; she never tripped, had perfect balance and it looked like she knew exactly where to put her feet at all times. But then the chick stepped wrong and was about to hit a mailbox (that kind of big mailboxes standing on the ground outside a building). Naruto didn't want her to get hurt, whoever she was, so he had ran to her and grabbed her strong but small shoulder.

Hinata had made him forget that black ocean. She had given him some sort of… hope. She had gotten to know him through talking to him, not rumors she had heard from others. But now, when it felt like she left him just by letting go of his hand, when he couldn't feel her skin anymore; the sea of ink filled up again. Was it something he said? Was she upset? And when he was on the edge of drowning again… he felt a pair of small hands hugging him tightly under his coat again. Hinata held him close, as if she thought he would explode of she didn't.

And then a small request escaped her lips: "Please don't be angry, Naruto."

The frustration instantly melted away. But before he could do anything, he heard chatter approach behind them. In a blink of an eye he had started dragging Hinata forward. Something had been troubled him ever since he woke up today. But it was only troubling him, not Hinata. He felt her gorgeous lavender eyes poking on his neck. She was still worried about him being mad. He flash her a grin like saying "everything's fine." They had gotten longer ahead of the people behind them. Naruto let go of her, but kept walking beside her. The thought was eating him out. He really didn't want to suggest it… but it was for her well-being.

Naruto took a deep breath. "I've been thinking…" It just didn't felt right.

Hinata gave him her full attention. "About what?"

It was hard to find the right words. "Well… um… this. Us, I mean." He glanced at her reaction.

Firstly, she didn't understand what he meant. She looked like she tried to read Greece. Then she started to blush, a shade of mad pink gone out of control. 'It suits her.' She nodded.

He had to smile at her, it was impossible not to. "I think it's best for you…" His smile faded. "if we keep 'us' to ourselves for a while."

She blinked. "What do you mean, Naruto?"

"It's just that I don't want to ruin any chances for you, because my rep isn't the best one. Being with me might give you some bad rumors too…"

She bit her lower lip as she thought about it. It obviously troubled her too. "But I don't care if I get worse reputation! Actually, I'm prepared for that. Being a Hyuga and all…" her voice faded.

They could see the school entrance. "We talk about it later, okay?" he suggested. She nodded. Naruto didn't reach for her soft hand again.

Hinata didn't like it, not at all. She couldn't care less about what others thought. Even before they entered the school gate, Hinata knew something had changed. The other students actually… smiled to her. Not fake, but warm and caring smiles. Some of them even asked if she was alright?

Then it dawned to her like angels from heaven; the fight with Sasuke. She lost and the whole school must know it by now. The students didn't fear her now that they knew she wasn't as strong as they first thought. They had accepted her.

"Hinata, we'll be late if you keep standing there," Naruto said, waving to get her attention. They entered the main school building shortly after. She had no idea where her first class was, but as soon as they met the rest of the group, Lee told her that because they had classes together all day, Tsunade had assigned him as her escort. "And she also asked me to shield you injury by letting my youthfulness embrace you as we walk to math class!" he explained excited with stars in his eyes, happy to help a friend.

Sakura poked the blue-haired's shoulder and whispered "In reality she only asked him to walk on your right side so that no one bumps into your bruise. How's it going with anyway? Me and Kiba will also be your classmates today. Unfortunately, we don't have classes with the other on Thursdays." In other words; Hinata would probably not see Naruto before lunch break. Sakura sighed happily beside her while they waited for Lee and Kiba to say goodbye. "I'm so happy that we got another girl in our Thursday group. It's hard to not resist beating up those two on daily basis, but Thursdays are the worst." Hinata wasn't sure if she should laugh or frown. "The principle has already given me a bunch of warnings. If send I another idiot to the hospital during school time, she'll expel me."

Sakura kept complaining as they split up. She didn't notice herself, but Hinata caught Sasuke looking at her with that much caring his cold eyes was able show. The heiress dared to look back at Naruto as she started walking away with the other three. He was already peeking at her as his part of the group got ready to leave. She sent him a bright smile before turning back to Sakura.

She quickly figured that she wasn't very into girl talk and such, but she couldn't help but admire Sakura's spirit and clear voice as she told her about her likes and dislikes. She seemed like the kind of person who could talk about anything and everything in forever. It was first when Kiba snorted after hitting on every girl they passed, that Sakura stopped talking. She looked forward and sighed heavily, like a mother tired of the same routine every day.

"What is it?" Hinata asked as she tried to see for herself.

"Wait for it…"

A redheaded girl wearing a white hairband, black leather jacket, grey shirt saying "Go Grammar", thigh-high boots with white soles, and blue jeans was closing in on Kiba's side. She had darker skin than most and rare, golden eyes. She passed Kiba without looking at him, saying "Dog Breath."

"Temper Nerd," Kiba quickly insulted back.

"Idiot."

"Pussy."

"Asshole."

"Attention whore."

They kept mumbling insults to each other before until they were too far away to hear the other one. Hinata looked stunned at Kiba, almost amazed by his vocabulary.

Kiba noticed it. "Hey! Don't look at me like that, Sugar. She started it!"

She leaned over to Sakura. "Is this normal?"

"'Wish it wasn't," she growled. "They probably do that every time they see each other. Not just when we're around." Hinata blinked at her. Sakura sighed again. "If you thought this was bad, then you'll spin in English class later. Her name is Karui, a transfer student from Hidden Cloud, and she's best in English at this school. High grades, scholarship; everything. I honestly don't get how she does it, she argue and fight with Kiba through every single lessen we've had this year. Not that it helps us others learning anything, but at least we get some entertainment." She tried to suppress her laughter.

"That's because the crazy chick always picks on me!" Kiba exclaimed hopelessly.

"You're the one who picks fights with her, dumbass."

Hinata and Lee stepped stopped and let the other two pass them as their own fight started. Sakura started shouting at him, but Kiba yelled back. 'Sakura's right; it is entertaining,' Hinata thought smiling.

"By the way, Hinata: where is your bruise?" Lee asked her. She pointed at the right side of her waist. Lee fell down on his knees in defeat. "IT MUST HURT SO MUCH! NO WONDER YOU LACK YOUR YOUTHFULL SPIRIT! POOR HINATA!" He cried surprisingly much and made a pool on the floor beneath him.

Other students rolled their eyes at the sight. Obviously, it happened often. Hinata didn't know what to do. Was she supposed to comfort him? "Um… Lee?" she tried hesitantly. He looked up at her with teary puppy eyes like he was about to cry again. "I-I'm fine, really. I can barely feel it." She smiled at him.

"Why are you doing this to my cousin, Lee?" a dark voice said from the wall on their left. A guy everyone seemed to avoid any physical contact with, stood up against the white wall. He wore a black hoodie with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, black gloves that didn't cover his fingers, and torn jeans. The hoodie hid his face in the shadows, but Hinata knew that voice by heart.

Lee jumped up and took stance before him with a sudden serious face. "Ah Neji. Wanna fight?" Lee's eyes gleamed with excitement. Hinata figured he must be the only one in the world who'd love to fight her cousin.

"No," Neji replied darkly. "I wish to speak with Lady Hinata." He didn't wait for permission, just walked over to her.

"Okay!" Lee grinned at him even though he didn't see it. "Have fun! But class start's soon Hinata, so don't be late." He walked into the classroom beside where they stood.

"It's a nice friend you have there, brother." Hinata smiled widely at him. Neji had always said he didn't need friend or people around him, that he was fine on his own. But Hinata had always worried herself sick about this. Neji deserved friends too, no matter how much he dined wanting them.

"He's not my 'friend', my lady. He's annoying as hell every time he sees me." Neji sighed and looked at Hinata. "I came to remind you of- "

"-the clan's meeting, I know," Hinata finished. None of the two looked forward to the meeting tomorrow. Actually, they'd hoped to stop being bothered by clan stuff when they moved out, but because they were both older than 12 and a Hyuga, they HAD to attend.

They sighed in unison. "I'll be there with you, and support you through it. But make sure to make up a believable lie to your friends about Saturday. It's normal to be asked out in the weekends," Neji informed her.

Hinata hated lying. She hated to trick people. And she definitely hated to lie to her friends. But it was better to lie to them about Saturday than telling them the truth in this case. She nodded. "I'll tell them that I have two clan's meetings in a row."

Neji looked pleading at her. "Sounds… great. A good excuse." Hinata didn't meet his eyes. "I have to go to class now, take care." He patted her head and went off. Hinata took a deep, shaky breath and walked into the classroom. She sat down next to Lee.

* * *

On the back row the corner of the classroom, several seats away from the four, sat 3 people. One of them was an excited Asian looking guy who pointed madly at Hinata. He had fallen out of his chair while being that hyperactive. "Did you guys SEE that?! It's proof! No one can argue with me now! MWAHAHAHA!"

The redheaded girl beside him rolled her blue eyes. Her flaming hair was in a ponytail with few stands hanging down on each side of her head. She wore an old, red and white Pokémon caps and a blue shirt saying 'NARUHINA FTW'. "Oh shut up, NejiHina. This is a NaruHina story, remember?"

"Actually," a brunette invented. She sat behind NejiHina and was shorter than the other two. But despise that, she looked stiffed and strong, ready to take you down in a fight anytime. "I think they looked pretty intimate just now. She's close to Sasuke too, if I remember right. This NaruHina thing wouldn't last long."

NaruHina slammed her fist in the desk. "Am I the only one who remember the forest?! NejiHina is incest shipping! And you just want Naruto to be available, NaruSaku!"

"And here I sit and wait for SasuNaru to happen," said a blonde boy who suddenly appeared beside NaruSaku.

"Oh hey, SasuNaru. How's it going?" asked NejiHina.

"Just visited KabuOri to discuss some yaoi just now. What've I missed?"

NejiHina got stars in his eyes. "Just the most beautiful NejiHina moment up until now!"

SasuNaru laughed awkwardly. "Even better than the cafeteria hug? No wonder NaruHina is this mad. I thought she'd be happy-go-lucky the rest of the day after what happened in the forest."

NaruSaku looked saddened at her sister. "As soon as NejiHina started bragging, she fell into annoyance again. I bet she's about to try that awkward 'bloodbending' thingy on Hinata again petty soon."

"I can hear you!" NaruHina exclaimed. "WE KNOW!" was their reply.

"YOU FOUR ON THE BACK ROW; BE QUIET," Kurenai-sensei called out, and they didn't make another sound after that.


	15. Chapter 15: Music

Chapter 15: Music

"Okay, next up is music class!" Sakura squealed happily. She turned to Hinata on her right and smiled. "Do you play an instrument, Hinata? You kinda need to unless you wanna learn playing one in class."

She shook her head. "No, I took violin lessons as a kid, but I can't remember how to play it now. What do you play?"

She smirked suggestively. It frightened Hinata for a sec. "Drums. It's a good instrument for the hot headed type like me. Kiba, along with Naruto and Choji, plays guitar. Lee invented his own instrument, but I don't have the slightest idea of what he calls it."

Lee pouted at Sakura. "You don't remember the springtime snip-snap, my beautiful cherry blossom?"

Sakura winched, but let it go. She took a deep breath to calm her head and leaned over to Hinata as they walked. "He basically walks around with a pair of drumsticks and hits everything that could possibly make a sound. It's strange, but it sounds really cool when jamming with the class."

Lee twitched and stepped down on one knee in front of Sakura, but before he could say something heartwarming, Sakura kicked his face and he fell backwards.

"Not now, idiot!" She was clearly annoyed. They walked into the down the hallway and entered another building, building C it seemed. The second door to the left was left open and the other three were heading for it. Hinata entered last and just as she stepped inside, a flashlight was directed to her face.

A woman shouted "MOZART! WHAT INSTUMENT DID HE PLAY?!" into a megaphone.

Hinata didn't move. She was blinded. "E-Excuse me, what?" 'Is she even talking to me?'

"WHAT INSTRUMENT DID MOZART PLAY?!"

"Eh… piano, I think?" she answered, shading her eyes from the bright light.

The flashlight was redirected away from her face. "CORRECT!" the woman called out and confetti exploded from the ceiling. As soon as Hinata's vision became clear again, she saw a purple haired woman wearing beige cloths and fishnet shirt. She was actually really pretty, but judging from the worn-out face she looked like she had sometime in her life seen death itself. The woman smiled slyly at Hinata as she came closer. "Hello! I'm your music teacher, Anko! You must be the new girl, Hinata Hyuga, right?"

The heiress nodded.

"Well that's great! New cupcakes mean new talents!" Anko oddly reminded Hinata of Guy-sensei. "Now Hinata, do you play an instrument?"

She found it hard to talk to this reckless teacher; it was like trying to talking to a hyena that wouldn't stop laughing at you. "…N-No, not currently…" she admitted disappointed.

Anko sat back on her desk again, thinking with her index covering up her lower lip. "Hmm… what about… umm… maybe can she sing?" she said at last and to no one in particular, staring into space.

The class secretly hoped so; their ears couldn't bare listening to Karin's cracking voice waking up another zombie one more time. No one else really bothered to sing. Except Ino who rarely was stand-in for Karin, but she preferred keyboard.

"…yes."

A quiet, shy and little answer came from her. All heads in the room turned to Hinata, like she had heard their prayers. Even though they were only half class, Hinata felt uneasy about the attention. Anko looked like she was about shed a couple tears of happiness as she stared at Hinata with a shaky smile.

"Ehh… I'm not sure if I'm good at it, b-but I really like to sing," Hinata confessed shyly while focus on her feet below her, blushing.

"Well then, there's only one way to figure that out," the teacher announced. "Sakura; hit the drums. Kiba; find the guitar, the acoustic one. Ino; the keyboard." In a moment it was all organized and Anko was sitting on a desk by the students, looking excited at Hinata. Sakura held her drumsticks in the air, ready to make the loudest, most rapid noise ever. Kiba were no less excited than Anko, while Ino simply waited patiently and held her hands over the keyboard. The other students wore a more curious mask. Hinata was standing in front of the black board without moving. She was supposed to sing… but what song? Could she do it at all? She started doubting herself. Hinata had never sung for anyone beside Neji and Hanabi…

Kiba started playing an intro; a mix of light and dark tunes. Hinata knew that song, and she was pretty sure all the others did to. It had been mainstreaming the radios the past month. She closed her eyes and felt the rhythm, tapping her foot along with it.

"You shout it out,  
But I can't hear a word you say  
I'm talking loud not saying much  
I'm criticized but all your bullets ricochet  
You shoot me down, but I get up

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose  
Fire away, fire away  
Ricochet, you take your aim  
Fire away, fire away  
You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium  
You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium

Cut me down  
But it's you who'll have further to fall  
Ghost town and haunted love  
Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones  
I'm talking loud not saying much

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose  
Fire away, fire away  
Ricochet, you take your aim  
Fire away, fire away  
You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium  
You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium  
I am titanium  
I am titanium

Stone-hard, machine gun  
Fired at the ones who run  
Stone-hard as bulletproof glass

You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium  
You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium  
You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium  
You shoot me down but I won't fall  
I am titanium

I am titanium."

There was a silence. The Hyuga didn't know whether to sit down or run away or simply faint on the spot. Her cheeks were burning. Never in her life had she performed before so many people. But still, somehow, the song had made it easier. She really loved the lyrics, but most of all she loved the strong power within every word.

"Well done, Miss Hinata." Anko gestured her to sit down, but before she could walk over to a seat, Sakura rose up from the drums and started clapping. The rest of the stunned class slowly followed her example. Soon, the room was filled with a loud applause for Hinata only. But Hinata laughed joyfully with her usual blushing face as she stared the floor beneath her. Her desk by the window was soon wet when she sat down. Lee looked at her swollen eyes and asked what's wrong.

He sighed a short laugh. "I'm just… really happy. I've never thought I'd sing in front of people like that. I think I'm just really grateful to you all," she grinned at him with tears in the corner of her eyes. "and I'm happy you enjoyed it as well!"

"You're a very gentle person, Hinata. I'm glad we're getting to know you!" he said with a sparkling smile.

"She's almost too kind," Kiba's voice stated right behind her. She turned startled and saw him clinging to her seatback.

"W-What do you mean, Kiba?"

He sighed and sat down in the seat behind her. "Well, think about it: you're kind to anyone, I'll bet you don't kill flies either. It's like something is boiling inside of you and one day you'll just BAM, explode, and become an ax murderer or something. At least I wouldn't be sur-"

"Don't scare the girl, Kiba!" Sakura said, slapping the back of his head as she sat down beside him. "Hinata isn't mentally unstable like that."

"Exactly! Do you really think ax murders are crazy from the beginning? No, it's the most polite people that go crazy after a while." Kiba looked sneaky at Hinata.

"Okay now, Kiba Inuzuka," Anko-sensei said, beginning to announce something. "Shut up now, cupcakes. I'm the only one who'll get to talk now. The next one to lift their voice above whispering will be sent to phycology class with Orochimaru."

No one said anything. Hinata followed the others' example.

"Good. Now we have something to discuss. You know the up-coming prom, right?" There were a few low conversations. "Yeah, principal Tsunade wants to use your class, both groups, as the band. That means that some of you would have to give up dancing that night."

To Hinata's surprise, there was someone who volunteered to do it. She had always thought everyone loved dances and prom, but it didn't seem likely.

"Oh yeah, before I forget; there are some of you that aren't allowed to be in the band because of La Luna."

Hinata had heard of 'La Luna' before. It was a special dance preformed at a festival centuries ago. It had always been between the noble clans only, including the Hyuga clan, so Hinata had of course heard about it. Now-a-days the dance is still a tradition, but it's only a part of the annual high school prom. This would be Neji's last year attending because it's his third and last year. Not that he cared, he had told her, he didn't get a La Luna partner the last two years anyway. But Hinata suspected him for not going at all. La Luna only consists of one member from each clan and the pairs are reaped randomly… or so they told them, the highest ranked clans (Hyuga and Uchiha) had always got paired up together. Hinata used believed the only reason why Neji wouldn't have gotten a partner last year was because there was no girl left for him, meaning there had been an overload of boys last year. Plus, seeing Neji and Sasuke dance together would have been kinda cheesy. Based on these facts, Hinata was pretty sure she'll be the Hyuga represent this year. But what she didn't know was the names of the rest of the noble clans.

"Okay guys, I'll just call up those of you I'll refuse to accept into the band. Huh, but it's a shame; there's a whole bunch of talents going to waste… whatever. Choji Akimichi, Sasuke Uchiha, Ino Yamanaka, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and of course Hinata Hyuga." The teacher looked confused at the list. "I don't know how you guys would work this out, two of you boys might have to dance together, but I'll love to see how this turns out!"

Something caught the blue-haired's attention. She turned to Kiba behind her and whispered "Aren't Naruto from the nobles? I was sure of it."

He leaned closer. "No, and I couldn't be happier! If he had, one of us might have to dance with Karin." He shivered by the thought.

"What does Karin have to do with it?"

"She's Naruto's relative, Karin Uzumaki. Both of them say they're barely related at all because they can't stand each other, but I think they're cousins." He shrugged and sat back.

So the Uzumaki clan wasn't noble. It's not that Hinata cared much about that, but she had thought so. 'But I'm sure I've read Uzumaki in my history books.'

"The rest of you," Anko continued. "can come to me and write yourself on the list at the blackboard."

Sakura didn't sign up as the drummer this year; she said she wanted to dance for a change. Hinata also heard that all the guitarists on their class were Naruto, Choji and Kiba. Kiba and Choji had to attend La Luna, leaving Naruto no other choice but being in the band this year.

"That's a shame, ya know," Kiba complained in the lunch. "The parties are always better with Naruto around." She didn't know how to feel about that, but she knew she wanted to dance with him. La Luna wasn't the only dance at the prom…

They didn't get to meet up with the rest during lunch, and Kiba meant he was way too hungry to look for them. As they ate, Hinata decided it was best to tell them first about her absence tomorrow. "Um… guys?" she said, gaining their attention. "I'm will not come to school tomorrow; clan's meetings all weekend plus Friday."

Sakura looked offended. "You're kidding me, right?! I was gonna invite you to a sleepover this Saturday!"

'Oh man, no way, not after… that.' "I'm sorry Sakura. I'll make it up to you someday."

"You better."

But she only had clan's meeting at Friday, to discuss tactics and protection with the elders, but also to prepare her for Saturday.

Lee started the conversation when they walked to English class. "By the way, Kiba: I haven't seen you with any broken lips lately. Have you improved?"

Kiba blushed a bit. "Well, I think so. Akamaru sure got the hang of it, so I hope I'm not worse. It's awesome though, and that's why we do it." He grinned brilliantly.

"What's so fun?" Hinata asked him curiously.

"Freerunning. I'm a parker," he said proudly.

"…what's that?"

"I'll show you sometime!" he said as he went inside the classroom. Kiba suddenly moaned as they heard a girl shout "NO DOGS ALLOWED!" In a split second Kiba was kicked out of the door and landed in the corridor before his head hit the other wall. Everyone stared shocked at the classroom door. Karui was boiling already.

"Whoa, starting early today," Sakura commented.


	16. Chapter 16: Goodbye

Chapter 16: Goodbye.

-Wham-

- the sound of a book flying right above her head before hitting the window at the other side of the hall with a loud bang. Hinata ducked, fearing Karui's English book will give her permanent damage. The bell had just gone off and she was running for the door after an entertaining lesson, yes, but also pretty dangerous. They started throwing _desks_. And she thought books looked heavy when they threw them at each other's head, probably causing some kind of disorder. But when their desks were in the air, the heiress knew she was done for. Why didn't the teacher say anything? It probably happens often, so they've already given up.

"Oy, Hinata! Wait up!" Sakura called out from the mess of a classroom. She ran/stumbled over books, students and god knows what.

"Shouldn't we stop them? They'll hurt each other!"

Sakura laughed awkwardly. "No, no. It'll take some time before they give up, or getting knocked out." They headed for the main entrance to finish their day at school. "Kiba have always been kinda sexually frustrated towards Karui. I don't know, maybe they know each other from before, but I don't think so. She moved here from Hidden Cloud, if my info's correct. Although, she's the only girl Kiba haven't flirted with yet, or so says the guy himself, but I honestly don't believe that. She's gorgeous, and she probably pushed him off a cliff or something first time they met."

They faced clouds when stepping outside; the gray and sad kind, not filled with rain, but bothers enough to cover a nice, blue sky just for fun.

"Which way are you heading?"

Hinata pointed at the park she and Naruto had walked through on their way that morning.

"Aww crap, I'm going the other way…" Sakura complained. Hinata, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel truly happy for having a friend like Sakura who wanted to spend time with her.

"No worries, Sakura!" an eager male voice dedicated. "I'm heading the same way as Hinata so she wouldn't get lost again." Naruto stepped up beside Hinata, grinning happily.

"Um, okaay…" Sakura said a bit suspicious. "See ya tomorrow!" the green-eyed one said while waving a short goodbye and walked off.

Naruto were talking about his day and how Choji and he had robbed the cafeteria for ramen again. He was in such a great mood, talking and smiling all the time so Hinata couldn't possibly feel nervous. But she had been holding something back, though. She wouldn't see him until Monday because of the 'meeting'.

"I won't come tomorrow…" she recklessly blurted out. She didn't dare to look at him now that he'd gone silent. She looked ashamed at her feet below her as they walked.

"Why not?" he asked her less cheerfully. Great, now she'd ruined his mood too…

"My family has a clan's meeting this weekend and it starts on Friday." Man, how much she hated lying to Naruto. It felt like the greatest sin, like it was something she shouldn't need to do. She wanted to tell him everything; how much she hated the event at Saturday, how she hated lying to her friends about it, how she felt used every time it finally was over, and how much she just wanted hug him so tightly it would erase the growing pain inside of her.

But she couldn't say all that. She always stopped herself because she was afraid of scaring her friends away, having them thinking differently about her, and hating her like she hated herself for being helpless, useless, and worthless. She didn't want that, no – she couldn't BARE that. And if Naruto came to think of her like that…

It would be the end to it.

Now when she has finally found her light, it would just go out and away? No. Hinata couldn't let that happen. She just wanted to be with him, is that too much to wish for? But most of all, she wanted to help him. It was clear as day that he needed her too; she felt it in every touch and every caressing… how the fire burned and chased the darkness away each time.

Naruto reached for her hand. She let him take it. "Do you have to go?" he pleaded as a strong wind rushed through the top yellow branches above them.

A sad nod was all he got until they reached the end of the park. Naruto stopped, causing Hinata to stop as well. He looked in the other direction; towards a street Hinata had never set a foot inside. "What's wrong?"

He slowly turned to her again. "When will you leave for that meeting?"

"Neji picks me up in half an hour or so. Why?" Hinata gently pulled Naruto's hand, but he just stood there looking troubled by something. A worried expression was forming on the Hyuga's face. She placed her hands carefully on each of his whisker marked cheeks.

Naruto fought the urge to make eye contact. Instead he closed his eyes shut, placed his palms above hers, holding her hands where they were. He sighed. How could something as small and soft as Hinata's hands fill him such happiness?

"What's wrong?" she asked with worry and care in her beautiful voice.

"Nothing," he chuckled. "Everything's just fine." He peeked at her and smiled, causing a small, relieved smile to spread across her neat face as well. That's when he decided to drop it. "Let's go home."

They walked home holding hands and reached Hinata's apartment. "Do you have to pack a lot? Should I help you?"

"No, just a couple things. They have all I need at the estate," Hinata told him as she unlocked the door and walked to the couch without turning the lights on. Then she did something that puzzled Naruto. She stood by the sofa in the corner of the room, staring at it like she wanted to set the whole thing on fire. She wore a face twisted in disgust. Naruto had never thought she even had that expression. He went over and hugged her shoulders from behind, at least trying to make her feel better. She relaxed somewhat, but her back was still tense, like she wanted to run away by any sign of danger.

Hinata sighed heavily and finally let her guard down. "Sorry," she whispered and leaned against Naruto's chest there they stood.

"You're not found of your couch?" he joked lightly.

But she just slowly shook her head. "No, that's not it." Naruto let her go when she sat down on the floor and peeked under her couch. And angry mumble escaped her lips, but too low for Naruto to hear it. Hinata reached for something that seemed to be stuck, but after a minute of hard work it loosed. She pulled out a box; just a simple blue box, nothing special about it. She carried it to the kitchen with angry steps and found her wallet and phone. "That's all," she said a bit more cheerful as she held the box on distance from her body, but it didn't trick him. He might be an idiot with school stuff, and he really hoped Hinata didn't think he was stupid, but even he noticed something was off. But he also knew that if Hinata wanted to talk about it, she would have explained to him why she was angry.

"I better go outside and wait for Neji," she sighed with a sad look in her eyes. She put everything in her school bag and turned for the door, but –

"Wait." Hinata froze. Naruto walked up to her and blocked her way to the door. He hesitantly grabbed her free hand gently. "Please… talk to me," he pleaded her and held her glance.

Little by little, the sadness showed in her face. "Um…-" she gulped wide-eyed, nervously shaking lightly. Her lips formed small, unspoken words. Naruto could almost feel the enormous load of words she kept hidden from him starting to push on her wall between them, and he could tell just by looking at her how much it drained her out when she couldn't say it. The blonde respected her enough to not look up her secrets, he had his own too, but all this seemed to hurt her both mentally and physically, and how can he just stand there and watch something hurt the one and only person he really loved?

That's when he saw it; the one single tear escaping her right eye. She really didn't want to walk out that door, she hoped he would stay there all day, all weekend and not let her go. She wanted to stay here and tell him everything she couldn't tell him.

She was afraid of that meeting.

He didn't even give it more thought, he had to kiss her. Not from lust or desire, but only to make Hinata feel loved and wanted, to make sure she knew that she wasn't alone anymore. He held her face like it was made of thin glass, as he felt her tears fall upon his hands. He kept kissing her with this worried expression. "Don't go," he whispered and felt her clench her fits when holding his shirt. "Stay." He whispered soft words as he caressed her face with such love she had never experienced before. Kissing her like he would never get to see her again. Once more. Twice. Then he felt Hinata freeze in shock as he stuttered "I love you." She'd stopped crying, looking at him in awe. Had he really never told her before? How was that even possible? She'd made him feel so happy, loved, and important, and he had never told her that? He held her stare and kind of grinned embarrassed, a small, pink blush coloring his cheeks. "Yeah," he whispered shyly. "I love you, believe it!"

She started to silently cry again, causing Naruto to think he's done something wrong. It felt like days since he last heard her voice, so it was like a blessing when she stuttered quietly "I-I-… I love you t-too, Naruto."

And then, she smiled. Not just any smile, but like she had been deaf her whole life and heard the sounds of waves hit the beach for the first time. Then they heard a car honked outside, but Hinata pretended not to notice. She brought Naruto's head down to her own level and planted her lips upon his. The car was long forgotten as he hugged her tightly. 'I can't let her go.' Naruto still blocked her way to the door as they stood there. The car honked again, longer this time. She pulled away and sighed with flushed cheeks.

"I have to… go now." She looked saddened down on their feet.

"No, you don't," Naruto stated.

"No, I really have to go. Bad things happen if I don't." Hesitantly, he let go of her and she found her bag on the floor. They walked out the door and she locked it before they headed down the outdoor corridor.

Before turning the corner that would reveal them to the car, Naruto grabbed her hand again and she stopped. "I can't just let you walk to a place you're afraid of…"

Hinata actually smiled a little and took his other hand in hers. "It's okay, Naruto. I know you'll be waiting for me here, so I'll be fine." She quickly kissed him and said "I'll see you on Sunday night", flashed him a loving smile, and turned the corner. He hid behind the wall and watched her run down the stairs and off to the black limousine waiting on the sidewalk. Neji stood against the car door waiting for his cousin and seemed quite upset with her being late.

Hinata smiled at Neji. He was a bit taken aback by it. "You seem to be in a good mood today, Lady Hinata? Taking into consideration what you'll be doing today." There was little light inside the fancy vehicle, but it was soundproof.

She laughed a little. "I think it'll be fine." She looked out the window as the limousine started driving, her eyes on her new home. "Now I have a reason to come back again."


	17. Chapter 17: Preparing

Chapter 17: Preparing.

The next day, Friday, passed by slowly and painfully. Hinata's old coaches were testing her to make sure she was in good shape for tomorrow's event. They had made her run until she fainted, tested her strength, but what was worse was when dr. Orochimaru came to check up on her "birthday gift". He had to run a couple tests with her mind and blood and, of course, nothing had happened with it. They didn't test the thing itself, it was like taking suicide. Afterwards, Hinata and Neji went to the conference room. Hinata had yet to see her father, not that she longed for the stiff figure and that cold stare of his. Her legs had been shaking on their way down the corridors, but she stood straight and strongly when she faced her father, mostly out of old habit. He didn't greet her, or said anything in particular to her, he just nodded when they walked in and sat down in the black leather chairs. They didn't talk to each other during the meeting, Hinata just answered 'yes' or 'no' when he asked her questions concerning the training she just finished. But the main topic this time was strategy. This time, the Hyugas hadn't gotten their hands on any inside information. No one knew who was going to compete. Hinata knew one of the rules in this sport was to have no knowledge of your opponent before the match, that's why she had never faced the same opponent twice. Ever. A high-class sport like this is usually good at keeping secrets, but the Hyugas always managed to get something. Not that it matters, because in the end, Hinata always won. She's the only one competing from the Hyuga clan (code named "Lavender"). That's mostly because if she refused to compete, Hanabi would be put into it, not that she would mind, but she don't know better. And if she had a drop out right before a match began, Neji would take her place because he's from the branch family. She's never dropped out or told the elders 'no'.

At the end of the meeting, one of the elders brought up a topic they've never talked about. Not even in private.

"But excuse me, my lord," he assigned Hiashi, and everyone stopped packing away their things before leaving. He had this curious under tone in his voice. "I was just thinking the other day, because we're playing a dangerous game here and the heiress might get permanent damage – No offence, my lady, you're doing a wonderful job – but she's soon seventeen years old… and unmarried."

There was a heavy silence after his last word. All eyes turned to Hinata, including Hiashi's. Apparently, the thought hadn't flashed his mind either. But it's true; she's seventeen and unmarried. But like Hiashi, the thought of getting married… she had never thought seriously about it.

The lord spoke up. "Yes, that's right. Hinata is still unmarried, but she's still in high school. Don't you see what kind of trouble it will cause if we take her out of her second year just so she can marry her fiancé? And what about all the suspicion it'll cause?" Hiashi clearly wasn't found of the idea. Hinata herself knew it wasn't fatherly love. She knew marrying this young wasn't normal, and those who did was normally heir to the leadership of their clan. And her identity as the Hyuga heiress still had to be kept a secret.

"My deepest apologies, my lord, I'm just concerned about our lady's health," he kept going. That didn't make sense to Hinata.

And obviously not to Hiashi either. "What do you wish to accomplish with this? What do you mean – say it."

The elder gulped uneasy. "W-With the heiress competing like this, in such a dangerous sport, I can't help but feel… at ease. She could get serious damage and-"

"We're already aware of the risk, now do you have something new we should-" Hiashi was cut off by the same elder.

"- be unable to carry a child."

There was another terrifying silence; at least it felt like that to the girl they were talking about. He continued. "You all seem to forget that the heiress is a woman. If she gets seriously injured at the right place, she might be unable to give birth to a new heir."

Everything suddenly felt so much heavier. Hinata had never been concerned about this, and no one ever brought it up. She stared at the elder with a horrified face. He noticed, took a deep breath and spoke to her only in a caring tone.

"My deepest apologies, my lady, that we have never spoken of this before. It is just that, as you already know, you are the first female representative of 'Lavender' in the history, so we have never before been concerned about this. We have never thought there would be any danger for the bloodline by letting you compete, not that we had much choice with you being – please don't think of this as offensive – utterly stubborn about keeping your title as the representative. But personally, I think the best thing would be to let Hanabi-"

"NO," Hinata snapped with more authority than she first planned, causing the old man to fall silent with a concerned look. He knew, or rather everyone in the whole family knew, Hinata would never use her authority on purpose.

"Hinata, sit down." Hiashi's voice occupied her head and she realized she was standing by the table. As she sat down, their leader spoke again. "We can take this matter into consideration later. It is already late and we all need to be fully awake for tomorrow's event."

The time had passed faster than Hinata thought it would. She was the first one to leave the meeting. Even though both main and branch family lived in this part of the estate, her light steps still echoed through the corridor. They've made it sound like she was carving to compete, longed to risk her life every time just keep her sister out of harm. It was her father who had threatened her, saying one of them had to do it and if she refused, Hanabi couldn't wait.

She met the veranda door made out of 100% glass. It was really pretty to look at and it gave a beautiful view of flower garden. Crispy leaves crushed under her feet as she stepped outside. It made her a tad sad. It's not like they don't have servants who could clean the veranda, but Hinata had been the only one who used it after her mother died, so her father said that there was no point in making the servants do more work than necessary. Hinata still loving the flower garden didn't matter to him, she was just a temporary important person until she gave birth to the next heir. In Hiashi's eyes, Hanabi could always take over as the representative. That's why Hinata had always cleaned the veranda for leaves in the autumn.

"What's on your mind?" Neji asked behind her.

She sighed. "Everything and anything, I guess…"

Neji walked up to her. "I'm worried, my lady."

"About what?" Hinata asked and sat on the freezing railing.

Neji leaned against it with an unpleasant expression. "You know how Hyugas… merry other Hyugas?"

She forced laughter. "You speak as if we are our own kind."

"Still."

Hinata sighed again. "There's no need to worry, brother. I won't marry you. I won't let that happen." He looked stunned at his cousin. She faked a shrug. "Well, think about it Neji; forcing you to marry me would be like stealing the greatest source of happiness you'll ever get. The freedom to marry someone of your own choice, someone you love – I can't let that be taken away from you as well." She thought about how her uncle had chosen to die in her father's place when they were much younger. Neji had lost his father to the rules of the Hyuga clan. She couldn't let the opportunity to choose his own wife get ripped out of his hand too!

"I really appreciate everything you've ever done for me, my lady," Neji said and bowed to her. "But tell me… when was the last time you ever thought about yourself?"

The heiress seemed confused with the matter. "What do you mean?"

"You always do everything in your power to satisfy others, even putting your life on the line every time you say 'yes' so that Hanabi don't have to do it. But when did you last think about what's best for you? What's your dream? Is it something you want to accomplish someday?"

No one had really asked her that before so it came kind of sudden. She always assumed that because she was born the Hyuga heiress, that would be her goal; to be a good leader."

"Don't you even have a saying in who you are to marry? When they are in the lack of time like this, you bet it'll just be arranged between you and some other Hyuga guy if not me."

Hinata stepped backwards, offended. "But of course I want to pick my own husband!"

"But you never speak your mind!" Neji started to get angry. "How can you expect people to know what you want when you never tell them?! Didn't you just say that arranged marriage was like stealing away someone's happiness?!"

That's when Hinata couldn't take it anymore and yelled out of rage: "BECAUSE NO ONE WILL LISTEN! IT'S NOT FOR ME TO DECIDE! No one listens to my opinion, and if it doesn't matter, then why say it at all?!" the heiress sobbed once and walked off before she started crying, leaving a frozen cousin behind. She had never, not once in her life as he know of, exploded like that. Still, it felt like that was about nothing compared to what she held locked up inside of her. He knew from before that his cousin didn't let anger get the best of her, but he had never thought it would build up inside of her like that. But because she always prioritize other people more than herself, she kept locked up and building up.

Hinata, on the other hand, went straight to bed regretting every word she said. It wasn't right to take it out on Neji; he just wanted to help her. The dark hole in her chest itched like it would rip apart again. It took time and strength, but she finally managed to sleep, thinking that she just had to survive tomorrow and then she could go home again… to Naruto.


	18. Chapter 18: Start Off

Chapter 18: Start off.

The sunlight reached her bedroom like lightning. A couple knocks and a small 'rise and shine, my lady' was what woke her up today, just like her early mornings used to be before she moved. Today was the day she had feared since she was six years old, even though it's an annual thing. It wouldn't help no matter what she did; it'll still tuned out like a nightmare. She sat upon her bed with a heavy head, clutching her white sheets. Hinata sighed, got up and called the servant outside her door. The woman entered carefully and closed the door behind her silently. She wore this joyful grin as she rushed over to the heiress with the blue box and a hairbrush in her hands.

"What an exciting day this is, or what do you think, Lady Hinata?" She looked eagerly at Hinata and gave her the box, but she simply smiled in return. 'Exciting' won't have been her first choice of words. The servant brushed Hinata's hair as she undressed and hesitantly opened the blue box. She quickly dropped it on the floor. To the servant it just looked like it slipped out of her grasp, but Hinata gritted her teeth and made a hissing noise in the back of her throat.

The woman picked up the thing inside of the box and held it up to the heiress. "Here, my lady. Shall I help you put it on?"

Hinata shook her head without meeting her eyes. "No thanks, I'll be fine."

With that she was left alone, holding the uniform in her hands. It looked like a normal karate uniform, karategi, but it had a light purple color and on the back it was a logo saying 'Lavender' written with thick, black, and curly writing. She slowly put in the pants. It was probably made out of some expensive cloth so it would stay solid and hard to rip apart, but still comfy and light enough to move fast without thinking about it. Then, with a frowning face, she put on the upper part and fastened it with a belt black as ink. As a finish she sat her hair up in a ponytail.

The reason why she couldn't stand the uniform and would rather burn it then and there, wearing it if she had to, might be obvious; it reminded her of this sport. But it also meant that as long as she had it, she knew she still had to fight someday.

After breakfast Neji, Hinata, Hanabi, Hiashi and Dr. Orochimaru left for the match. Hinata wore a black hoodie which hid her face and the logo on her back. For once the event was held in Konoha, but Hinata didn't fear her friends. This wasn't a sport for just anyone to come and watch; they had to accompany a representative to get in. that's why it was quite a shock to see Sasuke standing outside the entrance. Because of the hoodie, he didn't recognize her before she was right in front of him with Hanabi tagging along.

Hinata stared worried at him. "What are you doing here?!"

Sasuke scratched the back of his head. "When did you become so feisty? Anyway, remember when I promised to always help you through stuff like this? When we were six?" She nodded. "I will keep that promise, not because I care about you, but Naruto are always bragging about never going back on one's word and other crap like that."

Even though Sasuke had just insulted the guy she loved, Hinata actually smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate it, Sasuke."

As he came along he noticed Hinata's cloths and frowned, but didn't say anything about it. The sport was called 'killer karate' (a fucking stupid name from Sasuke's point of view). Killer Karate had nothing to do with karate, and the whole point was to hurt (f not kill) your opponent enough so that he can't move of fight anymore. The rules of killer karate are very simple:  
1) Knowledge of your opponent before the match is strictly forbidden.  
2) Their own body is the only allowed weapon.  
3) It is forbidden to move out of the triangle during the first minute.  
4) The match ends when one of them are unable to keep fighting.

They also had that stupid tradition that the winner delivered the final when everyone knew his opponent had lost (kind of like the winner's way of expressing victory). Sasuke rolled his eyes. He had never been the Uchiha's representative, Itatchi did that job, but had practiced killer karate and fought Hinata himself in private. Why he chose to support her was just a childish feeling telling him to. But even though it was childish, Sasuke would never admit that he wanted to help her because he recognized the sorrow and pain in her eyes after they fought.

They entered a wardrobe reserved to Lavender. This is where they would wait between the matches, this is the last place Hinata would be fully conscious in a while, and this is where her mind will break down and she'll scream an ear piercing scream after each fight.

They didn't wait long before Lavender's representative was called into the huge hall. There was only one hall. It had high security, like bank security, and it was enormous. The rep's usually used a lot of space when fighting, so they always choose the biggest halls in the area. This one was the size of a football arena. The system this year seemed to tell that it was sixteen clans attending, meaning it was eight first matches before the second round with the remaining eight clans. Then it was the third round with four matches, and the final match with the remaining two. If we summed it up, Hinata had to fight four matches before she could go home… or carried home.

Hinata clenched and unclenched her fists as she tried to relax when they walked from the wardrobe to the hall. No one could see her because they had switched all lights in the building off (they followed glowing signs leading to the hall), but she still walked stiffly beside her sister.

Hanabi squeezed her sister's hand. "You'll do great, sis! You always do, so no need to worry so much - You're shaking!"

The heiress didn't even try to believe her sister; Hanabi didn't know why she was afraid. Their father always sent her out of the room before the match was over. Hinata shivered.

Sasuke who walked behind her silently petted her shoulder as they walked through the security control. "Don't die, Hyuga. I don't wanna be the one spilling it to Naruto."

Hinata was way too devastated from before to say anything to that, but she turned quickly in pure shock, making some questioning noise.

Sasuke sighed and most probably rolled his eyes. "It's clear as water, you idiot."

The room was pitch black and indeed huge from the sounds their footsteps. The only light was two softly glowing triangles on the floor in each end of the hall. They were a man's length and width, glowing weak yellow. Neji nudged Hinata in the arm. "Just try to… forget about it."

"You're not funny," Hinata stated a bit too rude. "I'm sorry…"

"No. Wrong choice of words, sorry."

The speaker, or commentator, roared in the dark and everyone fell silent: "The representative of Sawako; please move to the triangle blinking green at the west side." Hinata heard one person walk for short twenty seconds, heavy footsteps made of a heavy man. He man entered the triangle and the yellow light switched to green the moment he sat a foot inside. The speaker continued. "Representative of Lavender; move to the eastern triangle blinking green."

Hinata's stomach twisted fifteen times before she took the first step towards the light. She felt Sasuke pat her shoulder again, Neji touched her back as she walked by him, her sister giving her a short hug, and her father probably nodded to her. Dump… dump… dump. Her opponent could probably guess by her light footsteps that she was a woman even though it was rare for a woman to practice killer karate. That is, if he had good enough hearing to actually spot the sound of her walking. The triangle drew closer with each step. Hinata knew that as fast as she entered it, there would be no turning back. It's illegal to leave the triangle before the whistle go off. 'For Hanabi.' The heiress took the last step. Green light glowed around her.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a cheerful filled the hall. "It is time for the annual 'Killer Karate Combat' held this year in Konoha, the capital of the fire country. Killer karate has always been a game of honor and respect for wealthy clans all over the world. There may not be a price to win, except the honor of being a part of the strongest and most respected clan in the whole world. This is the first match of this year's 'Killer Karate Combat'. Sawako's representative and our leading champion from Lavender have the great honor of starting this wonderful event we have waited for a year to spend together once again. Now," Slightly dramatic music started playing in the background. "You all know the rules. Use your first minute wisely, the first one unable to move loses. Have a great time dear clansmen."

There was a short pause with dead silence, like no one even breathed, although Hinata struggled to keep her breathing steady. She closed her eyes shut and focused only on inhaling. She couldn't faint now.

"On the western part we have Jodi Sawako from the Sawako unit." A flashlight got directed to her opponent. Jodi Sawako was defiantly a strong man. Standing normally and straight like that, his muscles was still very visible, even to Hinata at the other side of the hall and she didn't have that good eyesight. But beside that, Jodi looked like just another guy in his early twenties, guys she had fought for years. 'I'm sorry if I ruin your chances to ever get married and have a family, Jodi. I hope you know what you're doing.' She speaker made a cracking noise and Hinata knew what was coming. "This is Sawako's first year of attending KKC. But now ladies and gentlemen, let me present our leading champion with ten years of KKC in the past since the age of six; Hinata Hyuga from Lavender!" Hinata closed her eyes as another flashlight got directed to her triangle. She didn't open them before all the lights got turned on. "Let the first minute countdown being!" A huge widescreen placed on one of the walls flickered and the number 60 turned to 59.

This part of the match was only invented for the rep's to have a good look at each other and decide the easiest way to kill the other one. Most rep's used this time to harass the opponent and take away the courage they had before the fight. Hinata's opponents usually did that to her because she was the first woman they've ever fought.

So it was no surprise when Jodi laughed hysterically. "A woman?! You gotta be kidding with me, a girl can't fight. BRING IN YOUR REAL CONTESTANT, LAVENDER!"

He kept teasing her, but no one on the east part really cared. In less than a minute, he would be begging for mercy. Hinata gritted her teeth. Her father's 'gift'… When Hinata was five years old and had just started practicing killer karate, her father realized she had a hidden talent for it. But the heiress was simply too gentle and kindhearted to hurt anyone on purpose. At the time, Hanabi was too young to start training, but the Hyugas had to defend their title as the strongest clan. Hiashi found a solution to the problem, but his wife was forbid him to try something like that on their daughter. Hiashi loved his wife very much… but pride was more prioritized. He went and asked Dr. Orochimaru for a favor. The day Hinata turned six her father said that he would give her power and honor for her birthday. Orochimaru had sort of hypnotized her. Every time she was ready to fight and heard a whistle go off, she would immediately become emotionless. She wouldn't be able to sense anything; not hearing, no eyesight, not even pain at the moment until the whistle go off again. Her only thought would be "Kill it slowly and entertainingly. Do not get killed." She murdered two strangers on her birthday when they tested her. Not long time passed before they knew they had to do something about the gift. Because Hinata felt such pain, guilt, regret, and sorrow for taking two innocent lives just like that, they fixed the gift so that she won't kill anyone beside her opponent and she won't remember anything from the fight. But she did. They didn't know why, but Hinata was always left with images of the fight afterwards, like her mind had been taking pictures just to remind her of what kind of monster she turned into each time. Without feelings to interrupt her mind or being able to feel pain, she was a killer machine who could kill her opponents to eternity until someone shot her head, ripped her heart out, or detached her limps.

"And how are you supposed to move all my weight anywhere, little princess, huh? You don't own muscles, ya wimp!"

It was pointless to struggle against the gift once it took over. Hinata knew that. But she still tried so hard to fight it each time. She couldn't fight it for long though; her mind would go blank after a couple seconds. She might do it for Hanabi, but she still hated to hurt other people, no matter how rude or evil they were. They didn't know better, just like Hanabi, they had been told that to win KKC would bring honor to their clan. The 'honor' the Hyugas had obtained for ten years since Hinata became their representative.

15 seconds left.

Hinata didn't usually say anything except one question she always asked her opponents. "Why would you risk your life for your family's honor?" She shouldn't expect a good answer, but she kept waiting for those with a more logical reason than 'honor'.

Jodi seemed to be a bit taken aback by the sudden question, but he soon gor his laid back attitude back. "Why? Because of the honor, that's why! Now I wonder why a weak creature like you would do it, but I don't really care. You're butter soon anyway!"

5 seconds.

"I'm sorry. I hope you keep living after this, Jodi," said with true love and care pleading her voice. She took a deep breath. Hinata tried to block her mind, build a wall, but how can you block out something that's already there? The black hole in her chest itched as a high, piercing, mind-blowing sound occupied her head. The whistle. Her view disappeared even though her eyes were open and she couldn't feel her legs or arms. It felt like a dark creature ate up her nerve system from her feet and up. Then a kissing voice sneaked into her mind like a poisonous snake. A purple snake. It hissed silently 'Kill it slowly and entertainingly. Do not get killed, little heiress.'

And her mind was detached from her body. At this point, no time really passed for Hinata. It was like a short time of sleep. It felt like she just sat there in a white room with no ability to move. Or say anything.

There was a sound of a whistle again, clearing the room and sending her back to reality. Her view came back in an instant as she fell backwards. She heard a person running behind her and just managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Neji lifted her up quickly and ran with her out of the room to prevent her from seeing the body before her. But she saw it. Jodi's body didn't seem to be lying naturally. An arm is not supposed to be twisted like that. His uniform was strained with blood and ripped at places. But he wasn't dead. Jodi stared at her like she was an inhuman monster like no other. He was terrified. He was even too scared to scream out of pain. Neji brought Hinata to the wardrobe and had just got inside before the images turned in. Hiashi and Orochimaru had just arrived and locked the door behind them when Hinata's ear piercing scream filled the soundproof room.

Sasuke had gone off to find Hanabi. He couldn't do anything for Hinata right now anyway. It was about no one in the hallways and it didn't seem like the next contestants would be called for a while. They had to repair the holes in the floor after Hinata's fight first. Outside Sasuke could hear the sound of an ambulance coming, probably to pick up that Jodi Sawako. It would be about fifteen ambulances coming here today, and Hinata would be the only contestant leaving this place in a car instead. The only people he saw would be the one arranging KKC, the security guards around the hall, and some small children playing around, probably being the siblings to the contestants.

Sasuke sighed. 'Three more rounds to go, Hyuga. Hang in there.'

Contestants got called up once in a while, more ambulances arrived, Hinata fought two more fights, and she screamed even louder each time. She even got her left arm dislocated in her third fight, but felt no pain so she kept going. When she turned conscious afterwards she still refused to give in. She forbid Neji take over even though she was panting heavily with sweat streaming and eyes crying. She had this determined look in her eyes saying 'I will die protecting my family, if that's what it takes. Bring it on.' Tsunade had come by and Sasuke had brought her in. She managed to relocate Hinata's arm so she could move it, but it still sent a wave of pain each time. The pauses shortened between the rounds, mostly because it was fewer fights to be fought when contestants got eliminated so rapidly. Hours had passed since they arrived, and it was finally time for Hinata's last fight. She could go home afterwards. Sasuke had gone out to play with Hanabi, or rather spar with her outside, so he didn't hear it when the final match got called up.

A cracking noise came from the speaker. "Representatives of Lavender and Habanaro; meet in the hall for the final match. Good luck, and must the strongest clan win."

Hinata rose up on shaky legs. Tsunade had given her some painkillers, so it didn't hurt all that much, but she was still slightly dizzy. Neji supported her as they walked to her last fight. Hiashi walked in front of them emotionless as ever in the dark corridor. He won't be satisfied until Hinata had won it all.

Neji squeezed his cousin lightly. "One more and then home again, my lady."

She panted twice and nodded weakly, keeping her eyes straight forward.

Hiashi shot her a sticky glare. "Walk proudly, Hinata. This isn't just any match. Act like a Hyuga."

His daughter obeyed and slowly straightened up. Neji hesitantly let go of her. She still breathed heavily, but she walked by herself. They reached the security guards and Hiashi showed them their ID for the fourth time today. "Where's Sasuke and Hanabi, Neji?" she whispered.

"I don't know. They should have come back by now." Just as he said that, they saw Hanabi turn the corner running.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hinata was about to ask but Hanabi interrupted her. "Sasuke said he had to use the bathroom and told me to find you instead. This is the last match, right?" The heiress nodded to her little sister and they walked in.

Just like the other times the hall was pitch black. Dark background music was playing. Their footsteps made even more noise this time than the other times. Maybe because the other contestant's part was also quiet. That was highly unusual. It used to be only the Hyugas who stayed silent before the match. That wasn't a good sign.

Or at least they thought that was the deal, but it turned out to be wrong. The Hyugas didn't realize they weren't even there before three sets of different, and really loudly footsteps approached the room in the other end. A lot of threats could be heard from the other part (not directed to Hinata, but among them), some harassment and s tad complaining. Maybe her final opponent had a slight clue on what this actually meant –

"That's the spirit! You're gonna kick his ass so badly he can't sit on it ever again! HAHA!" a deep and very mature male voice yelled out.

"YOU BET!" a younger male voice shouted optimistically.

Or maybe not… Hinata sighed. The speaker cracked a couple times. "Dear remaining finalists, you have the honor…" And he held the same speech as he always did about how this is it and it's now or never. It took some time before he finally stopped. Hinata just wanted to get it over with so she could go home. Btu she still clenched her fists in protest as the speaker said "Representative of Lavender; please enter the eastern triangle. Lavender unit, please stand by the closest wall and enjoy the match, thank you very much."

The heiress tried to walk normally, but her right foot sent pains through her nerves every time she put weight on it. She reached the glowing triangle and hesitated. No, she had to - one more. One step and she was in, it glowed like green grass around her, but not enough to reveal her face or figure.

"Representative of Habanaro; please enter the western triangle. Habanaro unit, please pull back against the closest wall and enjoy the match, thank you."

Hinata listened carefully to his steps. Did they have any character? It only seemed like he walked with wide steps, nothing else. His triangle switched to green. Hinata closed her eyes shut. In the final round, they would reveal the contestants before presenting them. Lights flickered and the room was lit up in an instance.

"Our leading champion, Hinata Hyuga, with ten years of KKC in her archive –"

Hinata stood straight and opened her eyes, staring directly at her opponent. He had a normal built body, his uniform was ripped just like her own was and he looked tired too.

Why did he have such familiar ocean blue eyes? But why did he have spiky, blonde hair? He had three whisker marks on each cheek.

Her heart stopped beating.

Something got ripped apart inside of her. …her soul?

"- meets first-year Naruto Uzumaki in the final fight of this year's 'Killer Karate Combat'!"


	19. Chapter 19: No Time Left

Chapter 19:

Why was Naruto here? Just WHY? He didn't practice killer karate. But he stood there before her, face drained with shock. She had let her stiff mask drop long ago. Why HIM?! Would killer karate cost her the one and only happiness she had just found and treasured with all might? She could literally feel the tiny hope she had flow out of her, leaving an empty body soulless.

Neji cursed on the Hyuga side right before the doors on her opponent's side swung open and a stressed Sasuke ran into the room. He looked bewildred at Naruto at first who didn't even twitch from his stance as he stared intensly at Hinata in lack of words. She however, locked eyes with Sasuke slightly confused but still in disbelief.

She couldn't figure out his expression before a loud beep echoed, signaling the 60 seconds began, and he shouted to her, "I'M SORRY, I TRIED TO STOP HIM, HYUGA! I DON'T KNOW WHY HE'S HERE." Every sentence he said made her realize Naruto was actually there. "HE DIDN'T TELL ME!" Naruto was her opponent. "I DIDN'T KNOW HE PRACTICED KILLER KARATE!" She would be forced to fight him, unconscious. She will hurt Naruto. Maybe even- "God damn it," Sasuke cursed and rushed towards her and this time causing Naruto to look at him quickly. He didn't enter the triangle, and that was a good thing, but he stood outside of it, mumbling the story fast to her. "When I was out with Hanabi, I saw Naruto dressed like a representative and hurried over to hear him out. I didn't mention you or the Hyugas, but he wondered why I was here and I said it was an Uchiha thing. I tried to get him to blurt why he was here but he kept his mouth shut. That's when I ran off to find you but you guys had already left the base!"

The clocked ticked. 50 seconds left. Sasuke was called off to the entrance by the guards. Hesitantly, he left her and walked over to Neji, but not before shooting Hinata a warning look, and leaving his childhood friend standing there, locking eyes with her next victim who was also his best friend.

Naruto was still in loss of words. He stared at her like she's not supposed to exist. Not here. Never here.

Hinata didn't do much better. She wanted to ask him what he was doing here, if this was some sort of horrible nightmare she had to suffer before she woke up in her safe apartment on a normal school day. Yes, that had to be it - no way Naruto would practice KK, he wasn't that kind of person who thought honor for his family was everything. Besides, he had told her his parents died in an accident, and he lived alone, so it didn't seem like he had many relatives to fight for.

But reality strangled her. She saw Naruto form words with no sound and felt her own words shrink.

"Well, this is interesting." Out of all the people in the room that could have cracked the tension, it was Lord Hiashi Hyuga.

Hinata choked her words and the sound echoed. Naruto seemed to snap out of it as well, but before he could say something out loud, Hanabi spoke.

"What is, Daddy?"

He chuckled like he just got reminded of some old joke. Hiashi never laughed, not after his wife's death. "Just an old memory."

30 seconds.

"Hi… Hinata…" Naruto finally whispered, but just the sound of his voice was like a dagger slowly sinking into the skin of her back. It was too real. Too… true. Him physically being here made her chest hurt. This couldn't happen.

He loosened up, causing his cloths to move and reveal wounds and bandages from past fights. He stood stiffly, still taking in his surroundings while having his focus on Hinata. His voice shook, like he was sacred of her - or scared of hurting her. "What are you doing here?"

Her head span like a tornado and she could feel her expression change from shock to desperation. Every piece of poker face she had managed to gather had disappeared the moment her eyes opened.

"HINATA!" Neji called by the sideline. She forced her eyes to meet his but it was hard - saltwater was welling up. He made an expression, she wasn't sure what kind, but she could tell he was just as confused as she was. "FOR GOODNESS SAKE; BREATHE!"

She didn't realize she had been holding it in, but too late came her cousin's warning. She had been so focused on Naruto and the thought of hurting him…. if not kill him… was too much to handle. She could barely stand the thought of hurting people in general, but this was different; this was a person she held so close to her heart, so close that if he got hurt, her heart would as well.

She felt her legs tremble and her head swooned. Neji recognized it and he leaped forward. Hanabi cried out to her sister and her father stiffened. Sasuke banged his head in the wall. Naruto called out to her helplessly.

Neji caught her with a trained smoothness before she could hit the ground, he was used to this after all. He had entered the triangle but couldn't care less. Hinata was unconscious, but he didn't know people who had just fainted could cry at the same time. He gritted his teeth furiously and stared at the clock like he wanted to murder time itself.

"STOP THE MATCH!" he barked at whoever controlled this damned tournament. He carefully picked Hinata up in his arms and turned to the commentator's seats, safely placed behind black, unbreakable glass. Neji growled. "HINATA HYUGA IS UNCONCIOUS, STOP THE GODDAMN MATCH!"

The clocked stopped ticking at 15 seconds. At least that was something. Tsunade came rushing forward to help out with any medic skills she had, but Hiashi stopped her. He looked at Hinata, then Neji. "No. Get a bucket of water to wake her up and then continue where we left off."

Neji felt needles pierce through his skull as his anger grew. For way too long had Lord Hyuga treated Hinata like she was a thing; a thing he could kick around whenever he felt like it and put away when he didn't need it anymore. She wasn't a person to him! Ever since she had shown talent within killer karate, she hadn't even been a living breathing organism to this bastard! Neji hadn't seen him treat her like a daughter since she was five, which meant for TWELVE HORRIBLE YEARS WHATEVER AFFECTION AND LOVE HE HAD SHOWN TOWARDS HER HAD MERELY BEEN LOVE FOR HIS PRIDE AS THE RULING CLAN IN KKC!

The brunette felt like flipping tables and narrowed his eyes at the older Hyuga. "You have nothing to say here, Hiashi, so shut up."

Lord Hiashi looked taken aback. "What did you just say to me?"

"LOOK AT HER!" Neji gestured helplessly to the heiress in his arms. "THIS IS YOUR DAUGHTER, LORD HIASHI. How do you expect her to lead this clan when you won't talk to her like she's a human too?! I have been by Hinata's side for years and not once since Lady Hyuga died have you shown any sign that you still love her like a father should love his children!"

Hiashi's mouth twitched and he stepped forward harshly. "Listen here you little branch brat; I love my daughter."

Neji snorted. "Hah, yeah, you love HANABI. Don't confuse them." He stared furiously at his uncle. "Hinata is going to become a great leader, simply because she is everything you are not! But it wouldn't hurt you to just this once to blow off a fight for her sake only, would it?"

Hiashi didn't even consider it. "Any just why would I do that when she's perfectly capable of fighting it?" he asked, even though the answer didn't matter to him.

Neji glanced at Naruto and then back at the Head. He inhaled sharply through his teeth. This was his last chance. "Because her opponent, Naruto Uzumaki, IS A CLOSE FRIEND SHE LOVES DEEPLY! If you force her to fight him, everything will happen all over again! Don't make her go through the same horrifying things as she did when she was six; HINATA WILL LOSE HER MIND IF SHE HAS TO KILL ANOTHER PERSON SHE LOVES!" Neji pleaded with all his might. If he had to watch Hinata go through her life, knowing she had murdered two people who loved her and vice versa, even he would consider suicide. "I know you blame her for ending your wife's life, Hiashi… but please don't make her suffer like this all over again."

For a brief moment, the Head looked like he actually considered it, but his face fell back into the same stiff mask.

Neji lowered his voice, still piercing his eyes at the older one. "She will fight it. This time she might reach the surface again and you know it."

Hanabi came back carrying a bucket of water and gave it to her father. He stood there glancing between his nephew and daughter. He closed his eyes and sighed. "This is for the whole clan's sake, Neji - the branch family too." He didn't even have time to react before his leader emptied the bucket over his daughter's head, causing him to get wet as well. Hinata woke with a sudden flinch before choking and gasping for air.

Hiashi was already on his way back to the sidelines. "Now she's ready to fight."

"Fa-Father…!" Hinata choked. "My Lord! I-I can't fight -"

Hiashi turned. "Rubbish, Hinata. Just do what you've always done."

Hinata climbed down from Neji on shaky legs. "Th-That's not it!"

Hinata sent her cousin back as her father frowned slightly at her. "Then what is the problem?"

Hinata wasn't used to having a conversation with her father like this. She tried to find the courage buried deep inside of her, something she had saved up to this moment; that one time her father actually listened to her. She cleared her head. She stood straight and without hesitation said, "I don't WANT to fight him, father."

The heiress could swear she saw something flash over his face… guilt? But before she could be sure, it vanished. "Too bad, Hinata," Hiashi said neutrally. "You got no more time left to think about it."

It was like lightning had stuck her. Hinata's eyes widened with horror and she looked at the clock.

3 seconds.

Naruto gasped like he hadn't noticed it either. "WAIT, HINATA-"

2 seconds.

Hinata locked eyes with Naruto. She let all her emotions show in her face for the last time. She might not get the chance again. The heiress put all her sadness and desperation into her voice, "I'M SO SORRY, NARUTO!"

And someone blew the whistle.


	20. Chapter 20: The Shattering Surface

Chapter 20: The Shattering Surface

Her vision went blurry and out of focus. Her hearing became weaker as well as her feeling of touch. She felt a force –stronger than ever before- pulling her down and away from consciousness.

_'KILL HIM SLOWLEY AND ENTERTAININGLY. DO NOT GET KILLED.'_

For once, the wait was the worst part. And it wasn't really a wait in the white room either. She must have fought harder this time, used all powers she had and more from god knows where, but all it resulted into was glimpses. Horrible, terrifying short glips of reality gleamed through the surface. She knew she had launched at him without second thoughts, and no matter how far away he was, she was closing the space meters per second. She couldn't make out Naruto's face as she was right in front of him, deciding his left side was the weakest spot, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to see the look in his eyes when she pierced her leg into his side with full force, twisting her body slightly mid-air to land safely. But she didn't land safely.

Hinata's shock and rage boiled over, reaching what was left of humanity in her mind and making her off-balance. Her feet slipped and she dumped to the ground. For a split second she was confused. This didn't happen. She wasn't trained to slip on the floor in combat. But if Naruto hadn't called her name right then, sweeping away the distraction, the rest might never have happened. It was like being drugged with narcosis and trying to fight it. It was like trying to lift heaven so it won't crash into earth. It was like holding your breath when it was fresh air around you. It was like pushing something that didn't actually exist, but knowing it's there so you keep trying.

She aimed for his stomach this time, but Naruto blocked. He kept blocking over and over, trying to create some distance between them, but Hinata was just as quick with catching up. It stung her mentally every time she managed a punch and he winched. Neji yelled for him to fight back. Saying his cousin wouldn't stop before either of them was knocked out, and she wouldn't win easily. It was for entertaining after all. But of course, Naruto would never hurt her; Hinata knew it deep inside her white cage as she slammed at invisible doors around and above her.

Then it was that one time when Naruto didn't block fast enough. She had planted her foot right beneath his jaw before he could blink. _That_ crumbled her world to bits. She'd put enough strength into it to break his neck, thinking he would block it and it would just send him flying.

Did she imagine that sound of something snapping, or did she just murder the person she loves?

She landed back first on the ground, shaking uncontrollably with a vision weakening and darkening as it built up. Then the scream came – a long, high-pitched scream of bloody torture. Her hands were pressed against the sides of her head. Her mind was ripping apart for so many reasons it was too painful to think about it. The gift. The actual physical pain. The locked consciousness. Naruto. Everything went against Hinata's believes, the person she was had always been gentle and caring, and when being forced into something so against yourself, you will watch your inner world tear apart around you. She shrieked and screamed louder each time, desperately trying to push everything out of her mind.

People calling her name was a faint whisper in the burning catastrophe she was going through. She wanted to know if Naruto was okay, wanted to see him, but at the same time not. She wouldn't be able to handle it if he was not okay. Not that she was handling anything at the moment.

Then, like a hit with a lit torch, Hiashi reached her from the depths of her personal hell. "Stop with the noise, Hinata. You're not done here."

She got sucked out again. One thing was rolling in a shattering mind, another was to be ordered to deal with it and keep going. She should be mad. She should scream even louder for him to shut up and help her for once. She should be frustrated with every single living thing in that room, including herself. But the rage got ripped away from her as fast as she grabbed it. And it wasn't her father's order that made her feel that way. She wasn't done here. Naruto was still alive – conscious even! She actually smiled despite everything, and she heard a muffled comment from Neji about how she'd really lost it this time. She still heard the concern in his voice. They couldn't run into the fighting area during a combat, so she had to be close to the Hyuga side.

She found herself in the white room with the see-through walls again. A vague memory flew by, but disappeared before she got a hold of it. Something about everything, the feeling of the situation seemed familiar, but it slipped her mind.

It was like she's made a crack in the surface. Glimpses of Naruto filled her mind, how he looked like right now. He stood straight, a bit hunched and breathing heavily, but he stood and looked _alive_. There was blood drenched everywhere on his cloths now, even more than before. Fresh blood ran from his mouth and down his neck and jaw. He didn't care to wipe it away. Even in such pain, he still seemed sure of his movements as he held his arms steadily in front of him. He waited. It was Hinata's move.

Unconscious or not, the heiress had developed a habit to avoid eye contact with opponents, it would make it even more painful afterwards, but since it was Naruto she couldn't help it. In the aftermath, she still couldn't decide if it had been wise or not, because she saw everything in that moment. She saw how he cared for her, how hurt he really was – scarred even, how he loved her so much, how he hated this too, all the questions he couldn't ask her, his concern, the little cheekiness that never really disappeared, how he feared her next move, and rage – not towards her, but what she was right now, how it kept her locked up and silent.

It didn't last longer than a couple seconds, but it was enough to make her remember it the rest of her life. Then her feet lost ground as she fled at him again. She was too smart in this state when there were no feelings to interrupt her strategy. She went low and slammed her leg against his to make him fall and take advantage of his possible headache from before. Though, it didn't work. Before making contact, Naruto grabbed her leg with both hands and threw her body surely halfway across the hall. She didn't scream and she wasn't scared. In fact, when she had rolled over with minimum bruises and faced him again, she was sure he could see the misplaced, playful and grim smile on her face.

_He had fought back._

Now she had all authority to end his life. Up until now had been nearly an appetizer for the audience.

Her voice came out dark and hallow but clear, reflecting her eyes perfectly. And it would echo in his nightmares from now on.

"**_Your time is out, Naruto Uzumaki._**"

That is, if he ever got the chance to sleep again.

And, as if he looked at reaper of death, all life left his face as the image of the girl he loved ran for him with this mischievously joyful expression that wasn't hers – actually going for the kill. And if she had been holding back before –

She launched forward, her kick-off making a low thump of bare feet against wood. There was no way Naruto would beat her up, not her, never her. He wasn't even sure if he could, she was a natural at killer karate. When she'd told him lightly about what she was forced into, killer karate hadn't even been an option as he tried to figure out exactly _what_ it was because he couldn't too much to help her if he was left in the dark about it. But he didn't ask her. It was for her to tell. He'd sensed that it sat deep within her to tell him; definitely something she'd carried all by herself for years. He had felt the burden lift slightly from her shoulders when she told him under the tree, between his legs, with her head resting on his chest. A small breeze catching a few strands of dark blue hair.

It all happened very fast. She couldn't see. Hinata didn't get enough glimpses to process everything. She could only feel a stab every time she knew she'd hurt him one more time. No matter how much she screamed in her head, pounded on the doors, and cried out, it didn't work. She prayed and prayed for herself to stop, scratching every fictional thing she could, sobbing protests no one else heard.

_STOP IT_

_DON'T HURT HIM_

_PLEASE! PLEASE, STOP, DON'T DO THIS-_

_YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HIM, I WON'T LET YOU_

_STAY BACK, OH GOD, STOP DOING THIS – HE DON'T DESERVE THIS!_

_IT'S NOT FOR HIM TO FEEL THIS WAY, HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG_

_PLEASE, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH, THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING – _

**_STOP HURTING HIIIIIM!_**

Just like the surface between the with room and reality got shattered, she realized she had actually screamed loudly the last inner cry, her own body had made the noise. And then she could see again. And feel again. And she saw Naruto. And she felt the weight of him on her body. She was holding him up with full strength so he wouldn't fall backwards. She used her left arm because her right hand was clenched behind her head, ready to deliver the final punch.

It was silent everywhere else in the room. Naruto and Hinata was gasping for air. Anticipation filled the room after Hinata's cry. It had sounded helpless but strong, determined but fragile – like she'd give her life to be able to stop hitting him. They waited. The match was technically over, but both the audience and the judge was heartless and demanded a final blow to the head before ending it.

Naruto stared at her face, not the hand ready to end his consciousness. He watched her eyes with his head barely able to hold his head up. And he was on his knees before her. But he saw Hinata's expression change like a strike of lightning. No longer mischievously murderous, but not surprised either. The look on her face was a collection of every sad thing in the world, those things that can make a grown man cry without questioning it. But it also had that tint of beautiful happiness he couldn't figure out came from the fact that she hadn't killed him or that she was glad to see him for real. He decided on both.

The heiress stared at his face. It was blood drenched from his forehead, a large cut starting by his eyebrow and going straight up to his hair. She wasn't sure if she'd broken his nose. Even more dark blood dripped from his jaw. But he grinned at her. It exhausted him, but he kept smiling that goofy smile of his.

Hinata lowered her right hand and dropped to her knees, pain shooting from her legs but she didn't care. She gave him a tight hug, causing him to flinch. Hinata started sobbing apologies into his chest, Naruto placing a shaky hand on the top of her head. But when the whistle finally went off later on, Hinata's living nightmare would begin anew, only this time she wouldn't be able to escape it.

To be continued...


End file.
